“This is the beginning of a third Palestinian Intifada, which is erupting from the heart of Hebron and will spread to all of Palestine.”

One must be careful with this type of evidence; after all there is more than one reason for the Israeli political police, Shin Beth, to fake such a video. Moreover, considering the clothing of the participants it would be remarkably easy to falsify it even for the youngest agent, maybe as a graduation project. Yet, the video matches other developments on the ground and thus it is credible. It was posted on YouTube on December 15, 2012, by an alleged coalition of Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. These are the four main Palestinian political parties. Considering the disintegration of Palestine into Hamas-controlled Gaza and Fatah-controlled West Bank, this video is by itself groundbreaking news. However, it contains more than an image of unity. Its main message is “This is the beginning of a third Palestinian Intifada, which is erupting from the heart of Hebron and will spread to all of Palestine.” This will be achieved through the newly established “National Union Battalions.”

Let me translate this into simple terms. Following the acceptance of Palestine as an Observer State by the UN, the main Palestinian factions have united and declared Palestine’s Independence War on Israel. Is this credible? Will Palestine declare independence on May 14, 2013?

New Uprising

The video at the left was filmed the day before and shows violence in Hebron. Palestinian police officers are seen clashing with Hamas supporters during a rally in Hebron which marked the group’s 25th anniversary. The demonstrators marched from the city hall toward an Israeli checkpoint while the Palestinian officers attempted to disperse them. The demonstrators threw stones at them, and a number of them were detained. Due to resolution issues it is difficult to say for sure, but several Israeli soldiers may have participated in the event.

This may look like a contradiction to the claims made in the video above, but it is not so. It has been five years since Hamas supporters were allowed to gather in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority police was just making sure they would not reach the IDF checkpoint. Hence, the video supports the claim that a new coalition had been achieved.

Since November, there has been an increase in West Bank protests. According to the IDF, 130 attacks were launched from the West Bank in that month; most of them were defined as “difficult to contain.” AMAN, Israel’s military intelligence, reports a sharp increase in alerts suggesting attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Moreover, Palestinian Authority police stopped arresting Hamas operatives in the West Bank, and they are allowed to act freely. The Shin Beth released reports claiming that the West Bank is ripe for a third Intifada. Thus, at least the message in the video above is credible.

False Trigger

The IDF is fighting an outdated war. One of its generals, who refused to be identified by name, said on the same day to Yedioth Aharonot, Israel’s largest newspaper, “There are two scenarios that may indicate the future: The reopening of Hamas’ da’wah [charity] institutions in the West Bank and the complete suspension of arrests of Hamas operatives.” He added that the trigger for a third Intifada may end up being Jewish terror, such as “Price Tag” acts or clashes between Palestinians and settlers. One of the saddest things in this world is an old general trying to repeat a war from his youth; this unnamed general did just that.

The First Intifada was formally triggered on December 8, 1987. Two days before that, an Israeli salesman had been stabbed to death in Gaza; denizens suspected a retaliation from Israel. Then, an IDF tank transporter ran into a group of Palestinians from Jabalya Refugee Camp in Gaza. It killed four and injured seven, creating what looked like a retaliation. Subsequent violent protests became the Intifada. Yet, the ground had been burning for months; in despair, the IDF sent training units to the Occupied Territories since the beginning of that year. Years later, in September 2000, the Palestinian unrest was of a similar magnitude. The Second Intifada began on September 28, 2000, when Ariel Sharon, Likud candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, entered the Temple Mount accompanied by over 1,000 security guards. He said, “the Temple Mount is in our hands and will remain in our hands. It is the holiest site in Judaism and it is the right of every Jew to visit the Temple Mount.” By the end of 2012, the IDF is betting on a third variant of the theme. Yet, recent Palestinian actions show that a similar scenario is unlikely to happen.

Phase is Everything in Life

“Phase is everything in life,” a physicist friend told me once, and I found it impossible to refute his claim. Anybody thinking that the Palestinians will follow in 2013 the same patterns as they did in 1987 and 2000 is at least out of phase with our world and probably out of touch with reality. As analyzed in May 14, 2013, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has proved that he possesses a sharp historical perspective by concentrating his efforts on the recognition of Palestine as an Observer State on the anniversary of the historic 1947 vote on UN Resolution 181, better known as the UN Partition Plan of Palestine. He outsmarted Israel, which concentrated its efforts on the annulment of the resolution, instead of attempting to change its symbolic date. This was the act of a mature statesman who realized that the negotiations had entered a dead end alley. He is unlikely to surrender to settlers or IDF provocations and has a clear goal: complete independence. For historical reasons, his best choice would be May 14, 2013. Hence, the IDF’s published scenario is unlikely. The date the violent phase of the struggle will begin on is not related to Israeli actions.

Regardless of the name used by the media, the Third Intifada has not begun. What we are seeing is a Palestinian national, coordinated effort to achieve independence. The video on the top of this page announces the soon to begin Palestinian War of Independence. Are you ready, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz?

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I’d say that the Palestinian issue and even Gaza weighs upon the Muslim’s ability to ALLOW non-Muslims their spaces and respect the whole gamut of non-Muslim entertainments. Throughout this blog, there are instances of why Muslims should not be allowed to dominate the world. Muslims are incapable of governing diversity or understanding Voltarian freedoms such as accepting LGBT, gambling, alcohol, adult industry to list a few examples. Gaza (inequitable by location – no country can be in two parts in this manner – best that a land swop or ceding of the Gaza territory by Palestine occurs . . . ) and Palestine will NEVER be free until perhaps for a start the Islamist leaning government in malaysia ALLOWS all the above listed HUMAN RIGHTS the appropriate spaces and legal recognition and enforcement protections in a manner suitable and dignifying of the groups mentioned. This is why Palestine does not ‘deserve’ to exist, this is why Israel has a right to persecute Muslims, simply by the persecution applied by Muslims on non-Muslims elsewhere in the world .

There can be no protection or rights for Palestine so long as in places like Malaysia there are no rights granted on the above issues and more so when Palestine keeps firing rockets at Israel.

Even ‘Malay’ (half-Malay) exiles running away from Malaysia’s political fascism hate on LGBTs as well. RPK is a Malay writer who flip-flops but generally hates LGBT . . Impossible to teach some people(s) . . . so how can islam ‘civilise’ and abide by rights of access and expression on so many other ‘Haram Rights’ issues for non-Muslims?

ARTICLE 2

Yemen Times interview with Russian Ambassador Vladimir Trofimov: – “I don’t believe that Yemen will ever fall apart, and my government position is to support Yemen’s unity.” (Report).

“I will be happy to answer all your questions,” said the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Trofimov when we met him for an interview. He candidly opened his hands, “When it comes to Yemeni and Russian relations, we have no secrets.” Trofimov had been ambassador in Yemen for two and half years and is likely to continue for another one and half. Before that, he had been working for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 35 years, 22 of which were spent Arab countries.

He graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1974 and in 1986 graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has a Masters degree in History and speaks German, English, French and Arabic. He is married with one son who also works or the Foreign Service, specialized in Chinese affairs.

Nadia Al-Sakkaf interviewed Trofimov about Russia, Yemen and international affairs.

Every year, the Russian Federation provides Yemen with 80 Bachelor degree scholarships in many fields in addition to 45 scholarships for military degrees. A Yemeni-Russian Friendship Association recommends candidates for 20 of the general scholarships, while the remaining are decided on by the Ministry of Education.

Russia has investments in energy as it involved in the establishment of the Marib Power Plant, although it is keen on expanding to other fields when opportunity is available.

There are representatives of many large Russian industrial companies in Yemen and they are involved in energy and medical work, among other fields.

In the last few years, Russia canceled USD 5.5 billion of Yemen’s debts it the Russian Federation. And while Yemen still owes USD 1.2 billion, there is no pressure to return this amount as Yemen continues to pay an annual interest rate around no more than USD 20 million a year.

To Yemen, the Russian federation is not a donor country as such. However, it does help Yemen in facilitating agreements and supports Yemen’s development through expertise and discounted deals for equipment, arms, medicines and so forth.

Russians in Yemen

Formally, 500 Russians, mostly doctors and nurses, are registered with the embassy and have official state contracts. Yet the total Russian community in Yemen by far exceeds this number. Trofimov estimates that there are around 3,500 Russians living in Yemen, mainly in the medical field while others working in geological exploration among other disciplines.

Over the years, there have not been serious complaints raised by Russians living in Yemen and the general impression is that Russians feel safe across the country. They work in Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, Hadramout and Hodeidah. The embassy does not instruct its citizens where to go and where not to, as they have been evidently wise in their movement and work in Yemen.

“Even we at the embassy don’t believe that we need extra security measures despite the tragic incident of kidnapping and murdering foreigners in Sa’ada,” he said. “Thanks to the Yemeni government, security around the embassy is good enough.”

Security cooperation

Russia and Yemen signed a security cooperation agreement in 1998 and since then the two countries have exchanged expertise and Russia has supported Yemen with intelligence and military training, besides the 24 military scholarships every year.

During Saleh’s visit to Moscow this February, the two countries agreed on cooperation in combating terrorism and piracy. As a follow up, a specialized Russian delegation will be visiting Yemen in November this year to take the agreement further. There is talk of a joint Yemeni-Russian anti-terrorism and anti-piracy committee.

President Saleh also signed a deal to buy arms from Russia during his February visit. This is not the first time that Yemen buys weapons from Russia, who provides Yemen with discounted prices.

“We know Yemen is not a very rich country, so we do what we can to support Yemen’s sovernity and internal security, which is very important to us,” he said.

Yemen’s instability

“Our relations with Yemen are friendly and strong,” he said. “Our position is to firmly support Yemen’s unity and integrity.”

But Russia does not interfere in Yemen’s internal affairs like other countries do, Trofimov stressed. It trusts that the current president was elected by the people through a democratic process, and hence it is not fair to meddle into local affairs.

However, he believes that the instability in Yemen should not be over-dramatized. Another country with the amount of arms available in Yemen would have already been blown to pieces. Yemenis are therefore patient and calm people and are wise at handling their internal affairs.

The demonstrations in the south are economically based, and were triggered by some foreign and local political interests that do not represent all the Yemeni people.

“I don’t believe that Yemen will ever fall apart, and my government position is to support Yemen’s unity,” he said.

International affairs

Russia intends to hold a Middle East Peace Conference in the coming months. Its interest in the region’s stability is not new, as it has played a role as a mediator among many conflicting parties of the region.

“We don’t call it the Middle East,” he said. “We call it the Near East because it is near to us. And naturally we are concerned with its stability and want to ensure peace in the region. We have no problem talking to anyone in the process of making peace.”

Hamas has always been a controversial file between Russia and the United States among other western countries. Although there are currently around one and half million Russian Jews in Israel, Russia’s friendly position towards Hamas, Fatah and Iran has been made clear on more than one occasion.

“Mish’al had been invited to Russia twice before and we are inviting him again to visit some time soon,” he explained. “We must not ignore the fact that his government was a legitimate one elected by the Palestinian people. If we don’t consider Israel who keeps killing dozens of Palestinians every day a terrorist state, why should we consider Hamas a terrorist organization?”

“Our policy is to have fair relations with all sides, so that we can play a balanced role in the region in order to maintain peace,” he concluded.

Similarly, Russia’s relations with eastern countries are also maintained on friendly levels. Russia has annual USD 30 billion trade agreements with China and strong relations with India, notably commercial ones, as well as with other Asian countries.

Whether the new US administration means different US policy in the Middle East region is yet to be seen. However, Trofimov does find the Obama administration has a warmer attitude towards Russia compared to the Bush administration which was rather “confrontational.”…

The decapitated bodies of a judge, his wife and son were found at their home in one of the biggest Ukrainian cities of Kharkov on Saturday, police said. The killers also targeted the son’s partner, her body being mutilated in the same way.

­Victims of the graphic murder were discovered at the apartment of Vladimir Trofimov, 58, a judge of the city district court.

“The murder took place in the morning, four bodies are decapitated,” police said.

“We do not exclude Trofimov’s professional activity as a motive which led to the crime. But we are also looking into other possible reasons,” Kharkhov District police chief, Viktor Kozitsky remarked.

Local media report that police registered an emergency call at around 13:00 pm (11:00 GMT). The caller told them that he had found mutilated bodies of his four relatives including Trofimov himself, his wife, 59, their son in his 30s and the son’s girlfriend, 29. The murder occurred on the day that Ukrainian court workers celebrate their professional holiday. Kharkov is Ukraine’s second-largest city located in the country’s east. It was one of four Ukrainian cities to host the UEFA’s major football tournament Euro 2012.

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Silenced by the Arabs IN Russia (beheading seems to indicate)? Or silenced by the Russians themselves (in Arab style so that a war can be declared by Russia against Arabs . . . maybe high time so long as Islamists cannot abide by protection and granting of spaces and freedoms for non-Muslim entertainments) for being a double agent for Arabs in Yemen? Scary to get involved with these sorts . . . Gulag! Or conversion! Bad choices all, though extreme-Capitalism is no better . . .

Yemeni military court sentenced 93 members of the Republican Guard to prison terms from three to seven years for an attempt to break into the Defense Ministry building in August.

The elite Republican Guard is led by Brigadier General Ahmed Saleh, son of the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who resigned from power in February after more than a year of protests, in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

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Postulation : Looks like North Korea informing/selling info with that new satellite? Satellites could be BRAIN SCANNERS . . . Memories do not fade Russia, but Kim should know that blackmailing of Russia for WW2 incursions quietly in the background, will be more useful to Kim in the long run than exposing Russia to Islamists directly. As for the necessity due to Russian treachery or the regain national pride of WW2 atrocities, that could wait until the Islamists have pledged to protect and ensure non-Muslim lifestyles.

There is a ‘morality’ ‘key’ on satellite technology that can only be operated by certain types of Egregore/Subconsciousneses born from certain types of persons or those of sufficient strength among a nation’s citizentry. Should the Egregore or or Subconsciousneses assent to operate the Satellite via contract with the owner, the ALIENS waiting outside the Earth’s orbit are ready to communicate with the owner of the satellite via the subconscious or egregore.

The above series of events INCLUDING the mass shooting of 26+1 in Newport (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100321171), and Hillary’s ‘timely’ (if not contrived) illness and concussion circa 16th December 2012 could be a sort of warning or brain transplant, or soul exchange occuring.

As for Kim, the isolation was so severe that if the ALIEN theory is true, then NK communications would be as important to describe the nature of humanity than be suppressed as in the current form. ALIENS may not fully understand human emotions and societies and having only met a handful of satellites, might be misled to think every other human was not good or needed to be suppressed. NK’s satellite was piloted by the ‘14th Dec 2012 Egregore‘ and reached space where ALIENS learnt the nature of isolation and reputational sabotage by human nation against human nation.

The other method of piercing the atmosphere is via psychic broadcasting, where a psychic broadcasts upwards into the atmosphere (this can be intercepted or conducted away) but such signals are of interest to ALIENS being biological in nature, and are viewed equally as valid expressions of humanity as the satellite. ALIENS as of now may be on a fact collecting mission, and having discovered the abuses of certain human segments of society are on a ‘cleanup’ mission. Internet and mobile phone incidentally have been entirely infiltrated and are being loaded by aliens who study the emotions, if not neurotech scientists . . . the psychoatric establishment also attempts to shut off communications by heavily drugging psychics able to pierce the atmosphere, this is effetive partially when localized and with opponent psychics focusing against.

Any refutes and discussions to/against the (most admitedly viewed as outlandish) above post is welcome.

Nicky was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was 29
The condition makes her muscles tighten, leaving her unable to move
Nicky now poses as a frozen Marilyn Monroe for two hours at a time to raise money for charity

A Parkinson’s sufferer whose muscles stiffen as a result of the disease has turned her condition into an art-form – by becoming a human statue.

Mother-of-four Nicky Pywell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was just 29 forcing her to give up her career as a gardener.

The neurological condition means that without medication Nicky’s muscles and joints contract and tighten – and she is unable to move.

Nicky during her Marilyn Monroe performance

Good cause: Nicky decided to harness her muscle rigidity for charity by posing as a living statue for money

Undeterred, courageous Nicky decided not to let the debilitating disease get in her way and used her newly found talent to pose as a living statue.

She now raises money for charity by doing a Marilyn Monroe impersonation in her home town of Coalville, Leicester, for two hours at a time.

The street-artist now makes up to £400-a-time for Parkinson’s UK with her popular performances.

The 35-year-old said: ‘I become a living statue for two-and-a-half hours. I get stiff, all my muscles get rigid and I’m unable to move if I don’t have my medication.

Toddler enjoys first family Christmas at home after having ELEVEN tumours removed from all over her body
One loving family and a lethal divide: Sam, 25, and dying of a brain tumour insists faith healing can cure him. His cancer-consultant father is desperate for him to trust doctors

‘It was the idea of being stiff that led to being a statue. I do take little breaks but every time I am out on the platform I don’t move.

‘I raised about £390 the first time. That was taken from sponsorships beforehand as well as people giving me some on the day.

‘I gave an envelope to everyone I met that week telling them about myself and what I was doing.

‘I love Marilyn Monroe – she was a good actress and beautiful and glamorous. I find it really fun, I enjoy it and people say I look like her.’

Ms Pywell first sought her GP’s advice after she thought she had pulled a muscle while using a hedge trimmer nine years ago.
Nicky used to be a gardener but had to give up her job when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

Nicky used to be a gardener but had to give up her job when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

As time went on her left arm began to shake and drag but it took another three years and four neurologists to diagnose Nicky because doctors thought she was too young to suffer from Parkinson’s.

She added: ‘I was working as a self taught and self-employed gardener which I loved.

‘This particular day I was using a hedge trimmer and I thought I had just pulled a muscle. My left arm felt stiff.

‘I went to a walk in clinic and they gave me anti-inflammatory medicine, but it didn’t go away.

‘Then my left arm began to shake, and my left leg began to drag so much that it affected my driving.

‘Over the next three years I saw three or four different neurologists. None of them thought it could be Parkinson’s because I was so young.

‘Eventually my new GP sent me to a different neurologist at Leicester General Hospital. They admitted me to the ward, and Parkinson’s was finally diagnosed.

‘The medication they put me on worked very quickly and I was able to walk out of hospital.

‘I felt that things were finally getting under control, with the help of my Parkinson’s nurse.

‘Giving up my gardening career was one of the hardest things for me. Now, I’m taking each day as it comes.

‘People aren’t aware that I’ve got it unless I tell them and you get funny looks from people who make assumptions.

‘It’s much more likely that people think you’re drunk or taking drugs. For me to accept I’ve got Parkinson’s it was easier for me if I told the world rather than tell people one by one. It’s something I’ve learned to live with and not to be ashamed of.’

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Actually the psychic or astral imprinting issue is a viable problem to be considered with people with illnesses displaying themselves as role models. The best would be for warning to accompany with the ‘statue busker’ that has an illness (which spoils the work), or to have people in perfect health AND a family history free of disease that do not need warnings. That way, HEALTHINESS can be psychically imprinted upon the passers by rather than ‘wiping off’ of illness (if even intended or possible being in such a poor state of health) on the casual onlooker. Subconsciously those less wary or unaware may end up psychically ‘imitating’ Parkinsons disease while out of ignorance due to attraction for Marilyn Monroe and hence there must be some forethought and caution on the part of the audience as well even as the worker puts themselves out on a limb as well.

Some of the people who are knowledgeable about this may not practice or are coordinated well in actual practice, conversely those who practice well (a large majority I would say), do not know how to communicate this being unschooled in occult language. Then there are those fractured by the psychiatric establishment for being too strong or too aware, but thats another neurotech tagged article on this blog for those who care to browse . . .

President Barack Obama wipes a tear as he speaks about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, …An emotional President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to “take meaningful action, regardless of the politics,” to prevent future tragedies like the shooting massacre Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

“Our hearts are broken today,” Obama said in a brief statement at the White House briefing room, frequently pausing to wipe tears from his eyes. “The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.”

Obama expressed sorrow for the victims’ loved ones and sympathy for the parents of the children who survived but who know that “their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early.”

“As a country we have been through this too many times,” Obama said, listing a series of mass shootings over the past few years in places like Aurora, Colo.

“These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics,” he stressed.

Earlier, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that “today’s not the day” to talk about possible new gun control steps meant to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Obama ordered flags over government facilities to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Dec. 18. Shortly after he spoke, Connecticut State Police said the death toll included 20 children, six adults and the shooter.

Obama learned of the rampage at 10:30 a.m. from Homeland Security adviser John Brennan. He later discussed it by telephone with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy.

Obama’s reference to acting “regardless of the politics” seemed likely to be a reference to deep opposition in Congress to new gun control legislation.

“Today’s not … a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates,” Carney told reporters. “That day will come, but today’s not that day.” Carney said renewing a federal assault weapons ban “does remain a commitment” of the president. The ban expired in 2004, and Obama has taken no serious steps to renew it on Capitol Hill.

Carney declined to answer repeated questions on when would be an appropriate time for lawmakers in Washington to discuss possible actions to prevent future tragedies. “Our minds and our focus need to be on what’s happening there and providing assistance where we can to those who need it,” he said, urging “enormous sympathy for the families that are affected.”

One reporter pointed to Obama’s remarks in July just days after a shooting spree that left 12 dead and about 60 injured at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

“I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country,” Obama said at the time.

Obama has made similar comments before, including at a January 2011 memorial for the victims of a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in which then-Rep. Gabby Giffords was grievously wounded.

“We have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future,” Obama said. “But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. That we cannot do.”

Republican House Speaker John Boehner likewise ordered the Stars and Stripes lowered over the Capitol.

“The horror of this day seems so unbearable, but we will lock arms and unite as citizens, for that is how Americans rise above unspeakable evil,” Boehner said in a written statement. “Let us all come together in God’s grace to pray for the families of the victims, that they may find some comfort and peace amid such suffering.

“Let us give thanks for all those who helped get people to safety, and take heart from their example. The House of Representatives—like every American—stands ready to assist the people of Newtown, Connecticut,” Boehner said.

A country where every geezer or child is armed to the teeth is impossible to invade. Think Afghanistan where the kids casually carry around missile launchers or where an assault rifle is giiven as a coming of manhood gift. The above pic is of Russian origin. Does USA understand that people kill people and not guns kill people? Screening for psychos (psychiatrists kill with medications ALL THE TIME, so ban psychiatric meds . . . ) is the main issue.

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Absolute power absolutely corrupts.

Suggest that ALL owners of PRIVATE temples and churches be implanted with neurotech. Also all neurosurgeons who are able to implant neurotech and sellers of neurotech be implanted with neurotech as well. ALL private hospital committee chairs (or anyone with the authority to authorize bonuses), and ALL public listed company chairs serving more than 2 terms also required to be implanted with neurotech. ALL psychiatrists with the authority to implant neurotech be implanted with neurotech so that audits of all individuals possibly overseen by WHO can be done to see that abuse of political opponents and activists be prevented. Coroners who might have access to the dead and ‘used’ neurotech should also be implanted as well. The security people working at cushy jobs in nuke or dangerous weapon stockpiles also should be considered, to prevent bribery by unfriendly forces.

ALL neurotech implants should be registered with WHO and INTERPOL and deactivatable from WHO and INTERPOL to prevent abuse. ALL cabinet ministers related to security or neurotech based surveillance should be implanted with neurotech as well. ALL top police persons with access to neurotech devices be implanted with neurotech so that the NEUTRAL MEMBERS of public (i.e. no relatives, no neighbours, no people from the same establishment or work place) can do audits.

All neurotech implants NOT registered will be considered illegal. This way even banks and major companies leaking secrets and funds to unfriendly (not necessarily Muslet companies, but given the ‘War on terror’ the most infiltrations should likely be Muslet friendly ‘Whites’ of multifaith households or multifaith ‘toting’, yet Islamist leaning countries like Malaysia or some parts of Europe).

ARTICLE 5

New Russian motto: Legalize prostitution – collect taxes – 07.12.2012

The situation on the Russian market of sex services may soon dramatically change. Prostitutes will not be cheaper, and the moral climate in the society will not get better. Instead of vulnerability before the officials and clients, prostitutes would have “safety certificates” and those enjoying their bodies would have confidence that they are not dealing with a hotbed of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. A conference to discuss the initiative on the development of a law on legalization of prostitution was held in Moscow under the motto “legalize prostitution – collect taxes”. The idea was supported by a State Duma deputy from the party “United Russia” Joseph Kobzon.

The initiative on legalization of prostitution and the conference was originated by the fund “Morality Police.” The document of the organization, called a draft federal law “On state regulation and control of sexual services” suggested calling prostitutes “individual entrepreneurs engaged in providing sexual services,” and their clients – “consumers of sexual services.” The authors of the bill proposed to consider underground prostitution only sexual activities meant to obtain “income in the form of money or other material benefits.” The bill addresses the relationship between “entrepreneurs” and “consumers” as well as tax and other government agencies.

Duma deputy Joseph Kobzon supported the idea of ??the bill with reservations. He noted that the bill was just an excuse to start a great debate, perhaps even a referendum. “As soon as the State Duma starts drafting a law on prostitution, it will immediately raise the question of the need of its approval in the second reading by the government and presidential administration. Once the government feels that this law has a financial component, […] that there will be a need to allocate money from the budget to combat prostitution, it will be voted down,” said Kobzon. According to him, the money will be needed first of all for the maintenance of the new police unit – morality police.

Speaking after Kobzon, spokeswoman of the informal union of sex workers “Silver Rose” Oksana Yartseva noted that taxes that are rampant in prostitution “settle in the pockets of corruption.”

De facto prostitution flourishes in Russia, and the existing laws are obsolete. In the current Russian legislation Article 6.11 in the Code of Administrative Offences provides for a fine for prostitution between 1,500 and 2,000 rubles. There are two articles of the Criminal Code against pimps and keepers of brothels. They are “Involvement in prostitution” (up to a maximum of eight years in prison) and “Organization of prostitution” (ten years).

The conference overlooked the fact that talking about prostitutes we normally think of women, and thinking of customers we think of men only, which is not quite true. Everyone knows about the existence of male prostitution – and not just for the gay.

Sociologist Olga Kryshtanovskaya was among the most prominent opponents of legalization of prostitution at the conference. She did not like the fact that “it can be done by any girl who graduated from high school.” The opponents of this bill have two main arguments. The law on the legalization of prostitution is contrary to the traditional moral values ??and would lead to a greater spread of this vicious phenomenon. Ms. Kryshtanovskaya who specializes in the study of elites also mentioned sex tourism: “Would we face a huge influx of migrant sex tourists who will be coming along with their male migrant workers? How will it impact our demographic situation?”

In contrast to the arguments of morality and increasing number of prostitutes, the rhetorical question of Olga Kryshtanovskaya is very pertinent. The first oldest profession safely existed from time immemorial and, apparently, in one form or another will exist as long as the human race exists. As for Christianity, according to Jesus, individual prostitutes have a chance to enter the kingdom of heaven before priests and the elders. The spread of prostitution, as noted by Joseph Kobzon, is affected by social problems.

As long as Russia stays a poor country, the officials should think hard before legalizing prostitution. Otherwise, Russia can turn into semblance of Thailand that has become the center of world sex tourism. Russia should also look at the experience of Germany. Prostitution in Germany is legal in Protestant lands and prohibited in Catholic Bavaria. However, the ban does not lead to the destruction of brothels but, rather, drives them underground.

Igor Bukker

Pravda.Ru

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Igor? We all know that the regime establishment, chauvinists and militant feminists thrive off the sexual frustration of either gender. Prostitution if legalized will remove this element of psychic abuse from society and even prevent abuse especially FROM the hetero religious establishment fundos. The officials have been thinking ‘hard’, but Igor has been thinking ‘soft’. If Russia turns into the semblance of Thailand, one can only see the downfall of Capitalism as Socialism takes control when business goes to Russia. The economic vibrancy (we all know that places where the most entertainment occur is also where the biggest deals get done) of a Thailand-like Russia would dominate the world. Why would Igor not want that? Fifth columnist fronting for Capitalism? Igor is an ‘Igor’ for the Frankenstein of USA’s extreme-Capitalists (much like Islamists) . . .

European kindergartens and schools may ban children’s books and fairy tales that depict the traditional family. This is a request of the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights. According to the committee, fairy tales should talk about sexual diversity. Norwegian experts believe that children benefit from watching porn.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality prepared a report that calls for a ban of all books that show the traditional family where the father is the breadwinner and the mother takes care of the children in schools and day care centers of Europe. According to the authors, these books are bad for the future life of children, especially girls, and promote wrong behavioral patterns. In the future, it may prevent them from building a career.

Feminists are concerned that children from an early age are constantly faced with “negative gender stereotypes” in television shows and commercials. The word “negative” in the report is synonymous with the word “traditional”. Over time, the ban would be extended to television and advertising. So far it was decided to start with books.

The authors of the report strongly recommend urgent legislative measures in the field of children’s literature. In particular, they suggest introducing a policy of “equality of all social sectors.” An example of alternative children’s literature is a book “King and King” with kissing men on the cover. According to the report, this would help children to learn about the “true sexual diversity of society.”

In fact, such measures have already been taken in some countries, particularly in Scandinavian ones that consider themselves the vanguard of Western democracy. “Pravda.Ru” once reported about a Swedish toy manufacturer that issued a catalog before Christmas where girls were pictured shooting imaginary enemies with laser guns, and boys were depicted playing with dolls.

This was a requirement of the Swedish advertising regulator who accused the toy manufacturer of sexism and imposition of negative gender stereotypes. Norwegian kindergartens in 2010 introduced a program of compulsory sex education focusing on sexual minorities.

The report of the European Parliament also insisted that “homosexuality should be taught in kindergarten as a form of experience and knowledge.” According to them, this will expand the concept of “gender identity” for children. “Sexual diversity should be obvious to children. Children need to know that this is normal when your parents are gay or lesbian.”

For some reason, not all parents are willing to believe that this is “normal.” In Norway Muslim community strongly opposed such education in kindergartens. They threatened to withdraw their children from such institutions or create an alternative.

For the “dark” parents who are not aware of the latest trends in sex education in modern society, Norway’s largest newspaper VG Nett recently published an opinion of psychologists and sex therapists who said that it was beneficial for children to watch porn on the internet.

“Parents should not be afraid of their children’s sexuality. Conversely, from a health perspective it is beneficial to watch porn at a time when parents and children talk openly about these issues,” said psychologist and sex researcher Andres Lindskog.

He was commenting on a statement recently issued by an expert from the organization Save the Children, who expressed concern about the fact that increasingly more children and teenagers were addicted to watching pornographic sites on the Internet.

Anders Lindskog is convinced that there is no addiction or harm from this. “It’s important for parents to understand that children are born with sexuality and follow their biology. Children have the same feelings as adults,” said the expert.

After that, should we be surprised that the number of cases of pedophilia is growing in Norway? They mostly occur within the family. A few days ago, newspapers wrote about another such case. A couple, a husband and wife, subjected their three children under 10 years of age to violence and sexual perversions for years.

The children confirmed the violence to the police. But that does not mean that the punishment will be sufficiently severe. In Norway, pedophilia is considered a disease and is listed in the Medical Register. For this reason, pedophiles are given short sentences – from several months to several years. In some cases punishment could be limited to penalty only. In the end, parents can always say that they practiced “diversity of sexual relations.”

Svetlana Smetanina

Pravda.Ru

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Since brain scanning neurotech use is rampant, the issue of abuse and consent as well as TRUE (non-contrived) experimentation among children and conscientious NON-ABUSIVE AND NON-PREDATORY AND NON-EXPLOITATIVE adults that are not a form of uncontrolled incest, should be considered as part of the law making process. There should be no ‘top-secret’ preventions in the expositions of technology and application to the populace any more to prevent abuse and Orwellian dictatorships, hidden or not.

As for feminists or chauvinists, these groups should be allowed to exist as well and educate in the form they would prefer (i.e. disallowing fairytales) BUT may only ‘recruit or induct’ from children who have been determined to have NATURAL PROPENSITY OR GRAVITATION BY A NEUTRAL PANEL and consensually chose the subculture . . . *NOT* even children of arbitrarily feminists or chauvinists by nature should be forced into this sub-culture.

That would mean that Feminists and Chauvinists would continue to exist as a social group, but only be based around affirmation of the type of person, which a child MUST independently decide, and choose from A LIST OF ALL VARIANTS OF SUBCULTURES which must be part of early education. Meanwhile parents back home must be taught to not *forcibly inculpate* ANY values so that the child may grow up independently to decide what they want, NOT what the parents want. Invariably, the traditional family would doubtless survive as well – PROVIDED the issue of land and wealth distribution is resolved and do not from lack of distribution cause poverty to influence the child’s decision and choice as well.

Warren Buffett, the investor famous for betting on aging industries like railroads and insurance, is now trying to pull off something other billionaires have tried and failed to do: save the newspaper business.

His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has spent more than $342 million on 80 newspapers — including its hometown paper, the Omaha World-Herald — and used them to build a new business unit. And Buffett isn’t done. Though the division announced plans to close an underperforming newspaper in Virginia last month, he’s said that more acquisitions may be in store.

Terry Kroeger, the newly installed chief of Buffett’s newspaper empire, runs the operation from a 15th-floor office overlooking the expanse of wide streets that make up Omaha, Neb. The goal, Kroeger says, is to reintroduce newspapers to what they do best: delivering urgent, local information that readers can’t get elsewhere — and coaxing people into paying for it. He’s also creating offshoot websites with corporate sponsors and branching out into Internet video.

“We’ve got to evolve with what people are looking for, and I think our industry has done kind of a crappy job with that,” Kroeger, 50, said in an interview.

Kroeger, who started working at the World-Herald 27 years ago, once kept a pair of sneakers under his desk to mow the lawn whenever the grass around the office building got unsightly. Just like in those early days, it’s essential to charge readers for the reporting that journalists provide, he said. The World- Herald erected a so-called pay wall last year, and Kroeger aims to roll out the same approach across his other newspapers.

“You can’t spend millions of dollars assembling something and then give it away,” he said, endorsing a strategy adopted by the New York Times, News Corp.’s Wall Street Journal and most of Gannett Co.’s papers.

The World-Herald, Buffett’s flagship paper, will see its revenue decline this year as circulation shrinks, Kroeger said. It generates about $100 million annually and remains profitable, said Kroeger, who declined to elaborate on its finances.

Buffett’s acquisition of 63 newspapers from Media General earlier this year accounts for most of the newspaper unit. Based on Media General statements, those newspapers generated $299.6 million last year, a 50 percent decline from 2006.

Kroeger said that Buffett’s total newspaper division is in the black and should remain so, despite the shrinking revenue.

“We’re profitable this year,” he said. “I have a high degree of confidence we will remain profitable next year as well. We’re very high on the industry.”

The paywall has helped support revenue, though the program is still in the early stages, he said. The World-Herald’s circulation, meanwhile, has continued to shrink. It fell 3.2 percent in weekday readership to 130,932 from a year earlier, according to the most recent data from the Alliance for Audited Media. The Sunday edition dropped 2.9 percent to 165,397.

Even if the paywall draws help boost subscriptions, the move is more of a palliative than a cure, Kroeger said.

“We have to get into new businesses,” he said.

One such venture, already under way, aggregates health-care articles from the World-Herald and other Berkshire-owned Nebraska newspapers into a website sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. The site, which is freely available to readers, has advertising in addition to the sponsorship.

The risk is that sponsorships jeopardize a newspaper’s objectivity, especially when it comes to medical information, said Todd Gitlin, a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Kroeger said the arrangement with Blue Cross doesn’t affect the content.

The broader question is whether newspapers can evolve quickly enough to revive a decaying business. They’re confronting shrinking demand for print advertising, declining circulation, and encroachment from Internet companies such as Google and Facebook. The industry’s ad dollars dropped 6.6 percent in the first six months of 2012 from a year earlier, according to the Newspaper Association of America.

While community papers have an edge over publications in crowded media markets, no one has found a way out of the slump, said Ken Doctor, a media analyst with Outsell in Burlingame, Calif.

“There’s no silver bullet,” he said. Newspapers in many places had enjoyed a near-monopoly pricing on print advertising, Doctor said. “That’s not coming back — for anybody.”

Kroeger said last month the company will shutter the Virginia-based Manassas News & Messenger, one of Buffett’s most recent acquisitions, and cut 105 jobs in the process. The newspaper faced too much direct competition from other papers in the area, which includes Washington, and was continuing to lose money, Kroeger said in the World-Herald.

“We didn’t see any way to really turn it back into a profitable enterprise, reliably, so what made the most sense was to just cease publication,” he said.

Other billionaires have tried and failed to turn around the newspaper business. Tribune Co., the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, filed for bankruptcy in 2008, one year after a buyout led by real-estate magnate Sam Zell.

Buffett’s gamble is less ambitious. His recent spending spree on newspapers amounted to less than two-tenths of 1 percent of Berkshire’s total market value.

He also may have more success than others, said Don Graham, chairman and chief executive officer of The Washington Post Co. Part of Berkshire’s strategy is focusing on smaller market papers that don’t have to compete with other media, Graham said.

“When you get larger, you get challenged by more forms of media competition for advertising delivery,” he said last week at an investor conference. “Anybody who really focuses on the newspaper business should be studying one company this year: Berkshire Hathaway.”

At Buffett’s Omaha paper, Kroeger is investing in high- definition video equipment, with an eye toward doing an online sports show featuring its reporters. That’s something major market newspapers such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have tried. Unlike those national publications, though, Buffett’s newspapers embrace a simple tenet: All news is local.

“The community aspect of what we do is so important,” Kroeger said. “Obituaries, for example, are huge. You want to find out how big a deal that is? Misspell somebody’s name in an obituary — once. You’ll never do it again. These things matter to people.”

Kroeger’s first job at the paper was as an assistant purchasing agent. He negotiated for newsprint costs from vendors and made sure the company’s trucks had enough gas to make their deliveries every day.

“I was pretty low on the food chain,” he said. “It’s where I learned about the nuts and bolts of the business.”

Buffett is a longtime investor in newspapers, though never at this scale in the past. Buffett’s interest in the industry had been mostly limited to a stake in the Washington Post and the 1977 purchase of the Buffalo News, which is run separately from Kroeger’s operations. Its publisher, Stan Lipsey, reports directly to Buffett. Berkshire also owns a stake in Gannett, the publisher of USA Today.

Buffett is the second-richest American, after Microsoft’s Bill Gates, with an estimated worth of $46.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That’s made him one of the highest-profile backers of print journalism.

“I’ve loved newspapers all my life — and always will,” Buffett wrote in a letter to employees of his newspapers earlier this year, before going on to say that he will probably buy more papers over the next few years. Buffett’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Kroeger declined to discuss the company’s future takeover targets. Other newspaper businesses focused on smaller markets include McClatchy Co., a publisher of 30 daily newspapers such as the Sacramento Bee, and E.W. Scripps Co., which operates 15 newspapers from Cincinnati. Tribune Co.’s newspapers also will be put up for sale as the company emerges from bankruptcy later this month, people familiar with the matter said this week.

Buffett, born in Omaha, has been a loyal subscriber to the World-Herald for most of his adult life and understands the challenges the paper faces, Kroeger said.

“He knows it’s not going to be easy turning things around,” Kroeger said. “He gets what we do here and he’s been incredibly helpful, generous with his time, offering advice when he can.”

Still, Buffett doesn’t influence news coverage, said Mike Reilly, the World-Herald’s executive editor. And there’s been no shift in how the paper covers him, he said. For years, the paper has run a weekly column on the billionaire called “Warren Watch,” something that continues under Buffett’s ownership.

“There hasn’t been any change in how I run the newsroom,” Reilly said. “We used to cover the heck out of him and we still cover the heck out of him.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Starting from articles on the net, the number of hits should decide WHICH articles get published on solid paper. The hits online determine how much a person gets paid for an article (this should be capped at a limit of minimum wage per SERIOUS article or if the – we can’t have people getting millions at the company’s expense for A SINGLE ARTICLE), THEN the article gets published BECAUSE of many hits. This way articles that people do not read are left out, and the 99% decide what gets published instead of the editors who are doubtless controlled by the political regime of the day. For non-serious articles or trivia like music launches, celebs or fashion the rate should be at 5% of minimum wage per article, as we do know that a single journalist can churn out dozens a week and these automatically get ‘hits’ because of the shallow masses or tired minds looking for something simple. Various articles of similar types could appear all at once, so the top 20 top hits of the same article perhaps could be edited AND the ‘minimum wage purse’ be shared among journalists who independently found the article on their own (reposters not counted). As for comments, the ‘average annual wage’ purse could be shared for the top 10% of comments so that feedback is also included. Newspapers should not pontificate but also include comments as well.

ARTICLE 8

Susan Rice withdraws from running for secretary of state – live coverage – guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 December 2012 23.11 GMT

Susan Rice

UN ambassador tells Obama ‘I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly’

As news of Rice’s withdrawal broke, the president entered a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner on how the two sides might come to a fiscal cliff compromise.

If the president caved on Rice, does that mean he’s in a cave-y mood generally?

The deputy chief of staff for the speaker’s office, David Schnittger, says the meeting has concluded, but he isn’t saying what happened.

The @whitehouse #fiscalcliff meeting between @speakerboehner and President Obama has concluded.
— David Schnittger (@OhSchnitt) December 13, 2012

11.11pm GMT

Slate’s Dave Weigel calls it. That guy’s good.

I just hope McCain makes a rare Sunday show appearance to discuss this news.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) December 13, 2012

Potential defense secretary Chuck Hagel, a former colleague of John Kerry’s on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and like Kerry a Vietnam vet, is not regarded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to be an especially faithful friend to Israel, Eli Lake reports in the Daily Beast (Aipac never takes formal positions on nominees):

A senior pro-Israel advocate in Washington told The Daily Beast on Thursday, “The pro-Israel community will view the nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel in an extremely negative light. His record is unique in its animus towards Israel.”

Josh Block, a former spokesman for AIPAC and the CEO and president of the Israel Project, told The Daily Beast, “While in the Senate, Hagel voted against designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, refused to call on the E.U. to designate Hezbollah a terrorist group, and consistently voted against sanctions on Iran for their illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons capability. It is a matter of fact that his record on these issues puts him well outside the mainstream Democratic and Republican consensus.”

11.02pm GMT
Kerry: ‘we should all be grateful’ for Rice’s service

Ewen MacAskill sends John Kerry’s statement on the withdrawal of Susan Rice:

I’ve known and worked closely with Susan Rice not just at the UN, but in my own campaign for President. I’ve defended her publicly and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again because I know her character and I know her commitment. She’s an extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant. Today’s announcement doesn’t change any of that. We should all be grateful that she will continue to serve and contribute at the highest level. As someone who has weathered my share of political attacks and understands on a personal level just how difficult politics can be, I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks, but I also know that she will continue to serve with great passion and distinction.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 to discuss a disabilities treaty. Kerry did not want to respond to questions from reporters about recent talk that Kerry is a top candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 to discuss a disabilities treaty.
10.57pm GMT

Let’s hope Kerry recovers from his conflicted feelings about Rice’s political troubles in time to put a cheerful face on it should he be nominated to take the job that was supposed to be hers.

“I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks.” — John Kerry on Susan Rice. — The Fix (@TheFix) December 13, 2012

Heh.

If Kerry as Sec’y of State is half as effective against Iran’s mullahs as he was against Susan Rice, I’m for him — Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) December 13, 2012 10.43pm GMT

Updated at 10.47pm GMT

Who, apart from Sen. John McCain, is most pleased by today’s news? There’s reason to speculate that outgoing Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown might not be taking it so badly.

Brown is expected to be a front-runner to fill Kerry’s senate seat if Kerry gets the state nod. Here’s ABC’s Elizabeth Hartfield:

…with Rice out of the running, Kerry is “all but certain” to get the nomination, according to ABC’s Jake Tapper. That means a vacant seat and a special election, which could benefit out-going Sen. Scott Brown, who lost his bid for reelection to Elizabeth Warren in November. […] Brown’s victory in a special election would not be a sure thing. Although he leaves office with high approval ratings- exit polls from the 2012 election showed him with a favor-ability rating of 60 percent- but Massachusetts is a solidly Democratic state, and there are many Democrats in elected office in the state who could challenge Brown. 10.37pm GMT

The uproar over Rice’s statements on Benghazi was fueled by a desperate attempt to score points during the presidential campaign, as Tom Ricks so bluntly explained on Fox News. Then Obama was reelected and the continued campaign against Rice began to look especially unhinged.

Consider Iowa Rep. Steve King, who today said the Benghazi scandal is 10 times bigger than the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals combined, the Washington Times reported (h/t: @batterdippin):

“(Watergate) was a break-in that Nixon had no knowledge of at the time. It became about the cover-up,” King said. “Iran-Contra, again, as far as the real depths of what went wrong and who violated what laws, we didn’t really get that identified in there. … This is a case where we had an ambassador who was assassinated. He and the others were victims of a plot and a plan. We were willfully and intentionally misinformed by the White House. You know, if Richard Nixon tried to cover up Watergate, that’s an easy case to make that the Obama administration didn’t want us to know what has gone on. We still don’t know.”

This kind of circus wackiness, among other factors, made the case against Rice look weak. It looked like something a newly empowered president could bulldoze through. In late November, John Heilemann in New York Magazine went so far as to list five reasons why a Rice confirmation was a done deal:

As a rule, your columnist avoids predictions, but in the spirit of holiday indulgence, I will make an exception here: Not only will Obama appoint Rice to succeed Clinton but she will be confirmed.

Here’s Heilemann’s fourth reason:

4. Because McCain is being a jackass—and Obama is sick of it. Arguably more than any other national figure, the senior senator from Arizona is driven in every aspect of his public behavior by personal pique. In the wake of the 2000 Republican nomination fight, when he believed Bush and his campaign had defeated him by nefarious means, McCain lunged to the center and became one of the sharpest thorns in the side of the new president from his own party. In the wake of the 2008 election, when he was soundly thumped by a Democratic challenger whom he regarded as a neophyte and a pretender whose experience and valor were no match for his own, McCain immediately shed all traces of mavericky independence and became one of Obama’s fiercest critics from the right. […]

Apparently Obama wasn’t so sick of it. 10.27pm GMT

Updated at 10.30pm GMT

FILE – DECEMBER 13: Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from the running for Secretary of State. NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 30: Susan E. Rice, ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), attends a UN Security Council meeting regarding the on-going situation in Syria on August 30, 2012 in New York City. UN Security Council negotiations regarding the situation in Syria collapsed last month. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Continuity Horizontal Syria USA New York City Meeting Politics Ambassador UN Security Council United Nations Blocked Terms Diplomacy Attending Permanent Representative Susan Rice Situation Susan E. Rice, ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), attends a UN Security Council meeting regarding the on-going situation in Syria on August 30, 2012 in New York City.
10.13pm GMT

TPM’s Igor Bobic has a longer excerpt from Rice’s interview with Brian Williams to air tonight. Rice says that she didn’t want to see a disruptive confirmation process:

Today I made the decision that it was the best thing for our country, for the American people that I not continue to be considered by the president for secretary of state because I didn’t want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting, and very disruptive because there are so many things we need to get done as a country, and the first several months of a second-term president’s agenda is really the opportunity to get the crucial things done. We’re talking about comprehensive immigration reform, balanced deficit reduction, job creation, that’s what matters, and to the extent that my nomination could have delayed or distracted or deflected or maybe even some of these priorities impossible to achieve, I didn’t want that and I’d much prefer to continue doing what I’m doing, which is a job I love at the United Nations. 10.11pm GMT

The GOP, Michelle Obama and favors to repay

Guardian Washington bureau chief Ewen MacAskill observes that the president was in a tight spot over the secretary of state nomination – but now he is not:

The Republicans might have done Obama a favour. The president was under pressure from two of the women in his life, wife Michelle and adviser Valerie Jarrett, to give the job to their friend Rice rather than to Kerry. Obama owes Kerry, having used him repeatedly as an envoy to help with sensitive issues such as relations with the Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai. Kerry was also the Mitt Romney stand-in during presidential debate practice. Rice had the necessary diplomatic credentials. She has been right about more issues than she has been wrong, being an early champion of the West taking a tougher line on the Darfur issue. But when she has failed, she has failed badly. She was responsible for African affairs in the Clinton administration, and critics – fairly or unfairly – blame her for doing little to prevent the rapid disintegration of the Congo, a conflict that is estimated to have cost at least two million lives.

On a small scale, she was humiliated a fortnight ago when the UN general assembly voted in favour of a step towards Palestinian statehood. Showing none of the humility such a defeat deserved, she put her head down in the assembly to read out a defiant statement that would have pleased few outside of Israel. Kerry, chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, has much wider experience in the diplomatic world, and knows already many of the world leaders. Rice’s departure from the field will be greeted with relief in foreign ministries round the world who have been on the receiving end of her rough tongue: that is, most of them. For the same reason, her continuation as UN ambassador will be greeted with groans at other UN missions. 10.06pm GMT

How spontaneous is the Rice news? She’s already taped an entire interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams, a snippet of which just aired.

Rice said that the president’s second term would see “an attempt to get the crucial things done… [and] to the extent that my nomination could have delayed or distracted [from these priorities]… I didn’t want that.”

She told Williams she’ll stay on as UN ambassador.

It’s gracious boilerplate for withdrawing nominees.

was #Susan Rice pushed or did she jump? — Barbara Slavin (@barbaraslavin1) December 13, 2012

9.59pm GMT
The rise and fall of the next secretary of state

At what point did the president decide the fight over Rice wasn’t worth it?

Obama was still fully behind his potential nominee when she made her trip to the Capitol Hill woodshed at the end of November, meeting with Sens. McCain, Lindsey Graham, (R-SC), Kelly Ayotte, (R-NH) and others.

“The concerns I have are greater today than they were before, we’re not even close to having the answers,” said Graham at a joint press conference following the meeting. “The American people got bad information on Sept. 16, bad information from the president after that, and the question is, should they have been given any information at all?”

Republicans accused Rice of misleading Congress and the public about what happened in Benghazi in the Sept. 11 attack that killed Amb. J. Christopher Stevens, a computer technician and two security contractors employed by the CIA.

The Obama administration, led publicly by Rice, initially made the attack on a US mission out to be part of a spontaneous protest over an anti-Islam video that had provoked such a protest that day in Cairo and elsewhere.

Later it emerged that there was no protest, that the attack was planned and that the mission was attached to a covert CIA post.

Five days after the attack, Rice made this misleading statement on NBC’s Meet the Press:

What happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. Opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are readily available in post-revolutionary Libya, and it escalated into a much more violent episode. In the face of GOP criticism, the president said Rice was simply passing on the best information the intelligence community had at the time.

“If Senator McCain and Senator Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me,” Obama said. “And I’m happy to have that discussion with them. But for them to go after the U.N. ambassador, who had nothing to do with Benghazi and was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received and to besmirch her reputation is outrageous.”

Instead Republicans decided to continue to go after Rice, a lead adviser on the president’s first campaign.

Rice was not just another adviser; aides of both have told me Obama considered her someone he had a strong kinship with. — Perry Bacon Jr. (@perrybaconjr) December 13, 2012

She was one of first national security wonks to join his camp in 2007 and played a big role suggesting Obama was experienced enough. — Perry Bacon Jr. (@perrybaconjr) December 13, 2012 9.55pm GMT

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal notes that criticism of Rice went beyond her performance after the Benghazi attack:

Although Republican ire focused on Rice’s role in the aftermath of the Benghazi attack that killed the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, she faced strong criticism from other quarters over her backing of African despots and her unflinching support of Israel. Hours before Rice withdrew from the race, Robert Wexler, a six-term former congressman who now heads a pro-Israel think tank in Washington, said of her that “Israel has no greater champion in the current administration than Susan Rice”. That’s a view shared by some of her critics who say she has gone beyond the call of duty in projecting US policy on Israel to became a passionate defender of the Jewish state despite Binyamin Netanyahu’s policies, calling criticism at the UN “anti-Israel crap”. Rice went to lengths to woo the biggest of the pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Rice has also come under strong criticism over her positions on Africa, most recently for trying to suppress a UN report strongly critical of the Rwandan government’s arming and other support for rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rice was a national security official in Bill Clinton’s White House who played a part in the US’s failure to act against the 1994 genocide of Rwanda’s Tutsis. Since then she has been an unswerving supporter of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, who as a Tutsi rebel leader put a stop to the genocide even in the face of a growing body of evidence his forces are bound up with years of war crimes in Congo. Rice has also come under criticism for supporting other authoritarian leaders in Africa. In September she delivered a eulogy for the late prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, calling him “brilliant” and a “a true friend to me”. Meles had a long track record of bloody suppression of democracy. 9.39pm GMT

“I will do everything in my power to block [Rice] from being the United States secretary of state. She has proven that she either doesn’t understand or she is not willing to accept evidence on its face. There is no doubt five days later what this attack was and for” – Sen. John McCain on Fox News, Nov. 14, 2012

US Senator John McCain, speaks during the 8th Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama, Bahrain, 08 December 2012. The 8th Manama Dialogue organized by the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which will run until 9 December 2012 will focus predominantly on Syria and broad regional security issues. EPA/MAZEN MAHDI US Senator John McCain, speaks during the 8th Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama, Bahrain, 08 December 2012.

McCain reaches for the brandy and mutters to himself, “It’s a great day for America.” Fade out. — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 13, 2012 9.35pm GMT

To many seasoned observers it looks like the president has just lost a high-profile fight with Republicans over a potential nominee he has very publicly defended, indeed is personally linked to.

BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith is reminded of the bloody Cabinet fights of Obama’s first term, when he had to nominate three commerce secretaries, including Bill Richardson, before he got one through, and when former Sen. Tom Daschle failed as a health secretary nominee. A bit of a repeat of very early term 1, esp on national security: Obama, bloodied up a little by the Hill, shows weakness. — Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) December 13, 2012 9.29pm GMT

Hagel thought to be front-runner for defense slot

Rice’s withdrawal isn’t the only action in cabinet shuffling this afternoon. Earlier today Bloomberg News reported that former Sen. Chuck Hagel had the completed the vetting process to be the secretary of defense nominee. The report describes Hagel as “the leading candidate to become Obama’s next Secretary of Defense.”

Another senator, John Kerry, also had been mentioned as a potential defense pick, perhaps as a consolation prize were he to be denied the job he really wants, secretary of state, which was thought to be occupied by Susan Rice.

Now Rice is out at state. And Hagel may be in at defense. Which for John Kerry could mean victory.

Here’s the Bloomberg report:

Hagel, who served as an enlisted Army infantryman in Vietnam, has passed the vetting process at the White House Counsel’s office, said one of the people. The former Nebraska senator has told associates that he is awaiting final word from the president, said the other person. Both requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Other contenders are Michele Flournoy, former defense undersecretary for policy, and Ashton Carter, deputy defense secretary, administration officials have said. Obama invited Hagel to the White House on Dec. 4 to discuss the position with him, according to an administration official. The president hasn’t made a final decision, said another official. Both asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today declined to comment on whether Obama is considering Hagel, saying only that the two-term former lawmaker was widely respected. – 9.22pm GMT

Rice’s letter withdrawing her name

Here’s Rice’s letter to the president withdrawing from consideration as US secretary of state. “The position of secretary of state should never be politicized,” she says. Ambassador Susan Rice’s letter to President Obama (h/t: @thematthewkeys and @katierogers) 9.16pm GMT

The Guardian’s Ewen MacAskill sends President Obama’s full response on the Rice announcement. The president said he spoke with Rice today:

Today, I spoke to Ambassador Susan Rice, and accepted her decision to remove her name from consideration for Secretary of State. For two decades, Susan has proven to be an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant. As my Ambassador to the United Nations, she plays an indispensable role in advancing America’s interests. Already, she has secured international support for sanctions against Iran and North Korea, worked to protect the people of Libya, helped achieve an independent South Sudan, stood up for Israel’s security and legitimacy, and served as an advocate for UN reform and the human rights of all people. I am grateful that Susan will continue to serve as our Ambassador at the United Nations and a key member of my cabinet and national security team, carrying her work forward on all of these and other issues. I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend. While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first. The American people can be proud to have a public servant of her caliber and character representing our country. 9.13pm GMT

Obama ‘deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack’ on Rice CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller gets the response from President Obama, who says he “deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack” on Rice, but her decision “demonstrates the strength of her character & an admirable commitment to rise above politics.” In written statement, Pres Obama says he “deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack” on Susan Rice, — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) December 13, 2012

In his first press conference after his reelection, the president struck a note of unusual perturbance in responding to Republican attacks on Rice.

“[Rice] has done exemplary work,” he said. “She has represented the United States… with skill and professionalism and toughness and grace. … and if Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me.” 9.11pm GMT

Rice out of the running for secretary of state

UN ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration for secretary of state, NBC News has reported. A potential nomination for Rice, who for months was perceived to be the president’s top pick, has been the object of fierce opposition from Republicans, who accuse her of misconduct following the September attack on Benghazi.

“If nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly – to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities,” Rice wrote in a letter to President Obama obtained by NBC. “That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country … Therefore, I respectfully request that you no longer consider my candidacy at this time.”

We’ll be live-blogging developments. 9.04pm GMT

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Good honourable and ethical move by Rice. Rice has decided to ditch crony politics by sacrificing an opportunity that destroys democracy. Frankly ‘friends’ or seat holders in other places should not be ‘re-given’ posts. This should be something a panel should vote on and willing volunteers from a talent pool should sign on for for their 15 minutes of fame.

More than any other politician in America, her candidacy would change the contours of the next election.

Every Democrat with ambitions to succeed President Obama wants to know the answer to one question: Is Hillary Clinton going to run? If so, many will decide against doing so themselves. Who wants to square off against an opponent who’ll have a better fundraising operation, a better resume, and a spouse who happens to be America’s best surrogate? At the moment when the first black president is preparing to leave the White House, who will want to run against someone with a more than viable chance of becoming the first woman president?

“She seems like Democrats’ best bet, perhaps by some margin, to extend their winning streak to three or more terms in the White House,” Nate Silver notes. “If she ran even a point or two stronger than a ‘generic’ Democrat, the odds would shift meaningfully in her favor, holding other circumstances equal.”

But say Clinton doesn’t run. That changes everything, doesn’t it? Any Democratic primary without her would be dubbed “wide open.” Joe Biden may try to succeed his boss either way. But he is eminently beatable, as every aspiring alternative knows. He wouldn’t scare anyone away.

I won’t speculate about whether she’ll run. We’ll know in time. I’ll just say that it matters now that we don’t know, insofar as the uncertainty itself affects present behavior among certain Democrats.

I’d prefer it if Hillary Clinton stayed out of future races. My instinct is that she’d abuse executive power and civil liberties every bit as much as the man who appointed her to be secretary of state, especially now that he has acclimated the left to transgressing against transparency and the rule of law. What I can’t deny to Democrats is the likelihood that her foreign policy experience would permit her to retain her party’s edge on those issues, especially if she ran against someone as inexperienced as Marco Rubio, whose foreign-policy chops are hard to take seriously.

Grizzled feels more reassuring than boyish, does it not?

That isn’t to say she’d be a lock in the general election. About the only prediction I’m willing to make about Election 2016 is that Hillary Clinton would be a strong candidate barring a scandal.

But “likeable enough” to win?

What I’ll be most interested to see, if she does run, is how the conservative movement reacts to her candidacy. With relative sanity, insofar as they can’t very well accuse her of being a Kenyan anti-colonialist? With a return to the anti-Clintonian fervor of the 1990s? I suspect the latter reaction wouldn’t play well. Politicians who hang around long enough seem to become inured even to scandals in which they were actually caught red-handed. There isn’t anything so clear cut in Clinton’s past, and if many Americans are like me, the word “Whitewater” would send an involuntary shudder of dread coursing through the population, as if we were collectively told we’d have to re-watch the pre-trial motions from the O.J. Simpson trial while sequestered in a cheap hotel with nothing for diversion but Clinton-era back issues of The American Spectator.

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Can see the family blocs in 3rd world countries ready to jump on this opportunity to justify nepotism . . . do the right thing USA. Political culture is bad enough as is. Then the impossibly timely occurance below :

First stomach virus THEN concussion after ‘accepting’ the run for Presidency? (After Bill then Hillary, what next? Clinton’s children for President as well? Might as well run and declare USA a monarchy . . . no hate there but the 3rd world really cannot do with any justifications for nepotism arising from USA of all places! The Presidency of the United States and even so many high official posts should never be a hand down post, if a seat has been held by a family member, no way should the seat be allowed to another from the Clintons – the friends and cronies issue of seat/post hand downs are already bad enough, don’t start a trend . . . ) False flag or a warning by greater forces or even a warning by USA to 3rd world countries in the form of a false flag? Anything to put a stop to nepotism which destroys democracy and leads to dictatorship.

ARTICLE 10

Charlie Gonzalez’s Departure from Congress Marks End to Political Dynasty – Published December 17, 2012 – Fox News Latino

Charlie Gonzalez

San Antonio, Tex. – The retirement from Congress of Rep. Charlie Gonzalez is ending a half-century streak during which his father, then he, served in Congress, representing their San Antonio district.

The outgoing chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus served 14 years after replacing his famous father, Henry B. Gonzalez, who carved out a lasting legacy as a political reformer and civil rights leader.

Charlie Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, is returning to private life after deciding to not seek an eighth term. Taking his seat is Joaquin Castro, whose family packs its own celebrity pedigree: His twin brother is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a rising star on the national stage who was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention this year.

Charlie Gonzalez told the San Antonio Express-News that he’s leaving with a “sense of sadness.”

“It’s a job, but it’s an incredible job. The people, the surroundings, nothing compares to it,” Gonzalez said. “It is bittersweet. That is the best way to describe it.”

Charlie Gonzalez was first elected in 1988. His father served for 37 years and was chairman of the House Banking Committee, which wielded power over financial institutions and was instrumental in pushing reforms. The elder Gonzalez used that clout to push for public housing and programs for the homeless.

Larry Hufford, a political science professor at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, said the elder Gonzalez pursued social justice in a time when it wasn’t fashionable. Charlie Gonzalez represented a 20th congressional district that, by the end of this last term, covered impoverished barrios on the city’s West side as well as middle-class and affluent neighborhoods to the north.

When it came to national issue, Charlie Gonzalez used his status Hispanic Caucus chairman to push for immigration reform.

“Charlie was able to carry on that legacy with a much different style; more low-keyed but very effective,” Hufford said.

Charlie Gonzalez dismissed suggestions that he could wind up being an appointee in President Barack Obama’s second term or be elected to a statewide office. A Democrat hasn’t been elected statewide in Texas since 1994.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Gonzalez’s decision to leave Congress marks the “end of an era.”

“To decide on my own when to leave Congress, that wasn’t a decision wasted on me,” Charlie Gonzalez said. “I’m a blessed individual. Rather than having circumstances imposed on my life, I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my life. It is my encore career.”

This is based on a story by The Associated Press.

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Rare example of ethics. there is nothing beneficial personally for Gonzalez in quitting, but every such quit makes Democracy stronger and makes nepotism and oligarchy weaker. THIS should be the criteria for state awards or monuments than anything else. There is no end to wealth and power, and once enough politicians focus their value system on higher values away from the greed or power-madness fog, the super-pac, too big to fail, and plutocrat/corporate lobbyist and eventually the economy issues, will be easier to fathom and deal with. This is a form of ethics, as preventing nepotism is as dangerous as corruption in politics.

Tanis Baker, 21, dressed as a ninja to ‘strike fear in the hearts of criminals
He was arrested after officers who spotted him became concerned
He was soon surrounded by armed police, dogs and a helicopter
Two hidden rucksacks containing smokebombs and costumes found after arrest

Comic book fan: Tanis Baker told police he was a vigilante in a ninja costume after police arrested him while armed with a homemade wooden Samurai sword

A would-be vigilante was arrested by armed police after he dressed up as a ninja and armed himself with a wooden Samurai sword.

Mystery man-in-black Tanis Baker, 21, wanted to ‘strike fear’ in the hearts of criminals in his neighbourhood just like his comic book idols.

But a court heard Baker ended up on the wrong side of the law after dressing up in ninja-style black body armour and a mask.

He armed himself with smoke bombs and a home-made wooden Samurai sword then crouched in the darkness in a park ready to pounce on any troublemakers.

But a police officer saw Baker in the shadows – and he called for back-up because of his concerns over the mystery figure.

Within minutes he was surrounded by armed officers, police dogs and a helicopter hovering overhead above Beechwood Park in Newport, South Wales.

He was arrested and officers found two hidden rucksacks containing seven smoke bombs and other vigilante costumes.

Magistrates at Cwmbran, South Wales, heard he told police he was a ‘vigilante in a costume’ and that he wanted to help people in trouble.

He claimed to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the police on the streets and wanted to strike fear into criminals.

The probation officer who assessed him said Baker was a fan of American comic book superheroes.

His probation report said: ‘He seems to get confused between fantasy and reality and sometimes had trouble distinguishing between what was in comic books and what was real life.’

The court heard that in real life Baker is no superhero but works as a barman in a snooker club in Newport, South Wales.

Hi-ya! Mr Tanis said he dressed up as a ninja to ‘strike fear’ in the hearts of criminals in Newport (picture posed by model)

Louise Warren, defending, said: ‘Baker was bullied for many years and struggled growing up in his neighbourhood.

‘He was attacked by a gang of youths while out with his sister a year ago, but police were unable to find the offenders.

‘Since then Baker has wanted to help the police to protect society.’

The court heard Baker was asked what he would do if he encountered a real crime and said he had not thought that far ahead.

Superhero: How Baker might have looked when he was arrested while dressed as a vigilante ninja

He was given a 12-month supervision order and ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

Chairman of the magistrates Paul Lavin, said: ‘You may have thought you were helping but you caused a lot of trouble.

‘Do not do this in future or else you’ll be in big trouble.’

Baker, of Cwmbran, South Wales, admitted having an offensive weapon in a public place.

He declined to comment after the case.

Storm in a teacup as The Ninja of Newport has to meet the authorities somehow when he makes his introduction but now he could supply them with a trusty Ninjaphone to ring him in their hour of need to save the day and help restore law and order showing the baddies there’s a new guy in town and his name is THE NINJA OF NEWPORT!!! *plays national anthem*

– Stuart , Edinburgh Scotland, United Kingdom, 13/12/2012 18:34

We need more vigilantes on the street, but we criminalise them instead. Take Phoenix jones of Seattle, he and his friends do a great job, lawfully and prevent crimes, as well as assisting law officers.

– Illuminati cards , Bunker, 13/12/2012 18:49

What part was illegal ? Smoke bombs aren’t illegal, they are let off at paintballing sites, and wooden sticks aren’t illegal unless something new has happened, that makes drumming against the law.

– mileage , Barry, 13/12/2012 18:49

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Look here anyone is allowed to cosplay a ninja or favourite super hero (or Otaku genre!) character. Orwell has taken over Newport. More ‘ninjas’ or cosplayers should lurk ‘ in the shadows ‘, SPECIFICALLY to see what the local enforcement does. Good work Tanis! Now we all know that Newport is not a free sort of place. A really free minded place would give a verbal warning or even co-opt the ‘ninja’ as an eccentric member of the neighbourhood watch who refused to work with the formal watch. More cosplayers! And know that permission for carrying actual weapons can be obtained and if registered should not be an offence.

But a wooden sword? Thats not even a weapon. A really long carving knife is more dangerous than a wooden sword and is legal to carry around. A handgun is more dangerous than the above and still is legal. Lurking might be addressed with a simple request. And the reasons given are only to protect society! What gives Newport? More cosplayers and lurkers EVERYWHERE! How about openly walking around with masks, costumes and ‘lurking’ in corners for the rest of the week Newporters! I’m surprised Tanis did not challenge the judgment. Where’s that US culture of freedom and vigilante-ism? For the conservative types, try Cowboys and Indians with camping knives, whips and 6 shooters for a start . . . set up camp in a ‘lurky’ area EVERYDAY in shifts. See what the local enforcement does . . . we’ll know where Orwell LURKS instead – then set up a map of ‘people friendly’ and ‘people unfriendly’ places, the 99% will know how to vote or which laws to amend . . .

House Speaker John Boehner has made a decision that will make some wealthy Americans squeal, while making most Americans smile.

Boehner, after weeks of rhetoric that Republicans and Democrats were miles apart on fiscal cliff talks, relented on a stance that high earners shouldn’t see higher taxes. Now, Boehner has agreed to raise taxes on Americans making more than $1 million, reversing an earlier position that all Bush Era tax cuts should stand.

The move by Boehner is particularly significant for several reasons. First, it’s a gesture toward compromise— Democrats wanted taxes raised on Americans making more than $250,000, while Republicans, at first, would have none of it—and suggests the two sides may finally become serious about averting the fiscal cliff. Next, the tax hikes would increase federal coffers by some $1 trillion over 10 years; President Obama has demanded $1.4 trillion in new revenue, but at least the pols’ figures are growing closer. And Boehener’s decision is a refreshing signal that, when confronted with dire forecasts—like the one that predicts a recession to start 2013 if the fiscal cliff happens—Washington, D.C can put aside partisinism and past promises. Though, I imagine that Grover Norsquist takes little glee from Boehner’s shift.

Republicans are the first to sacrifice a sacred cow. Now, Democrats must too. What mostly impedes progress? Some $200 billion. That’s the difference between the spending cuts in federal health care programs that Republicans want ($600 billion) and Democrats want ($400 billion).

Investors will probably take this move by the pols as evidence that a deal will eventually come. We haven’t piled out of stocks quite like you might think. Indeed, the major benchmarks this month have gained about 4%. There hasn’t been that complete flight to safety—into the cash-generative arms of Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Walt Disney—and away from risk—fleeing the speculation around a Research In Motion comeback or better times for Alpha Natural.

Still, the cliff today looks less like a chasm than it did just a few days earlier.

Reach Abram Brown at abrown@forbes.com.

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Squeal? What they earn in a year is an entire lifetimes 401K or many times more than 401K which the 99% takes decades to earn, these wealthy Americans are just SPOILT. Boehner did good, and if the wealthy Americans are too squealy, they are welcome to move to a favourite country of their choice – as mentioned before all assets a country has are land and resource divided by number of citizens not useless fiat. the US A will be happy to have 1 citizen less and more to share among those who stay.

ARTICLE 12.5

French wealthy ‘feel victimised by tax’ – by Hugh Schofield – 10 December 2012 Last updated at 15:02 GMT Help

Actor Gerard Depardieu has become the latest wealthy person to flee France’s 75% tax on those earning over 1m euros a year.

The star has bought a house over the border in the Belgian village of Nechin.

France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault has already applied for Belgian citizenship and thousands of other wealthy French people are making the move.

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The ‘wealthiest’ will NEVER pay enough because in 1 year they earn 10 lifetimes what most ‘wealthiest’ Frenchmen earn in decades EVEN AFTER TAX. No place for Marie Antoinettes here . . . and 75% tax is not enough because they can hold assets up to 75,000% of what the ordinary french person has with the very wealthiest earning 7500% of what the 99% does EVEN AFTER TAX. 75% of 100 million of the less ecxeptional wealthiest is still 25 million in earnings, 75% of 10 million is 2.5 million in earnings which is easily 10 times what the 99% earn in a lifetime . . . Victimised?

Some Frenchmen can’t even buy French bread or have a French roof! That money goes to social services not banquets for the French officials I hope, otherwise time to storm the Bastille again . . . 75% tax is farcical considering the above facts.

The issue of child prostitution and its supposed alter-ego, adult prostitution, are personal to me because I’ve experienced both, having been prostituted between the ages of fifteen and twenty-two.

I sometimes think of what those who knew nothing of me would have thought of me, as they caught glimpses of me, on the different stages of those seven years. Who doubts that the majority would have looked at my young teenaged self and wondered what sort of world we lived in? And who doubts, if they’re honest, that many would have looked at my young adult self and wondered what sort of women populated it?

This is the dichotomy of adult and child and they are viewed as very separate, very distinct, so that there is a clearly perceived line between these stages, these ages, but in fact it is not a line. It is a bridge. It is a bridge that spans the in-between; that gap that connects the points in the lives of so many women who were prostituted first as children then as adults. I lived that bridge in my own prostitution life, when I was turning from a child into a woman, and I was used sexually for money on most of the days that made up my adolescence, as I was before in childhood and afterwards in early adulthood. And here is the crux of the matter: it was all the same nightmare to me.

People chose though, before and after those in-between years, whether I was blameless or blameworthy. In the interim, while I existed in the in-between, each individual who looked at me or fucked me had the privilege of making up their own mind. Many did, and most chose the latter.

After that, when I was identifiably a woman, it was not a case of ‘most’ anymore, but ‘almost all’ – because almost all those who looked at me in my young adulthood decided that I’d chosen what was happening, and saw it as what I was doing rather than what was being done to me.

The ‘done to me’ aspect died, you see, along with my adolescence in the perspectives of other people. The problem was it didn’t die, and I was still alive, living the ‘done to me’ reality every day.

As a fourteen-year-old girl, a full year before I ever started prostituting, I first realised that some men felt an actual entitlement to my body. This was perfectly expressed by the extreme belligerence they’d display when I rejected their advances. They would be so angry. ‘How dare you?’ said their actions. I couldn’t make any sense of that attitude. It was literally like someone was speaking in a foreign language to me, and it was a foreign language in a sense; it was the language of sexual entitlement. I became fluent in the language eventually, but fluent in the sense of someone speaking a language not of their origin; someone who can understand it audibly, but will never be able to write it.

At that time though, I couldn’t imagine how anyone could think it was okay to walk up to someone on the street and wrap your arms around them, or grope somebody, or growl what you’d like to do to them into their ear. But I had all these experiences as a fourteen-year-old girl and I’d had three approaches by paedophiles as a pre-pubescent child, and still I could not fathom why and how this was supposed to be acceptable in the view of these men, why this was supposed to be okay. I remember one man’s surprise and affront as he told me “You’re very standoffish!” after I pulled away from a physical embrace I didn’t initiate, ask for, permit or fucking want.

These experiences came thick and fast from the age of fourteen, when I began to be more noticeably developing breasts. It is little wonder I became fluent in the language of male sexual entitlement. Facial expressions, aggressive stances, weary sighs, protracted silences – all these too make up part of that language, all these are used to communicate the idea that you’re expected to consent when a man decides he will have rights to your body.

So I’d had some schooling, in that sense, as to what prostitution expected of me. What I didn’t know was how bad it was going to get. I couldn’t have known that before I experienced it. It was unknowable. Well, I soon found out, and what I found out didn’t get any better on the day I turned eighteen and it didn’t get any better on the day I turned twenty-one either.

They bother me, these stupid irrelevant lines that are drawn that attempt to divide the lived reality of the prostitution experience based on whether a female is fifteen or seventeen, seventeen or nineteen, eighteen or twenty. They are diversions to the central matter at hand; they divert from the core issue. They disappear the fact that this is wrong, not only by degrees that deepen with the youthfulness of its target, but by its nature, so that all those who’ve been paid for sex they do not want have suffered sexual abuse. There is a shelf-life for women in prostitution, but there is no shelf-life for the nature of prostitution. Its abusive core does not morph into something else on a person’s eighteenth birthday. Not that many men wait that long in the first place.

And on that note, people need to start querying what is the criterion for fuckability according to sex-buying men? What is their divining rod for ‘of age’? Is it a pair of breasts? My experience of prostitution is that it is any pair of breasts, regardless that they’re still developing; and this we’ve got to see as a form of sexual selfishness that has decayed to the point where it’s putrid. It is also a nonsense of a position, because if a pair of breasts at any stage of development signify completed womanhood then every females adulthood actually began at the onset of puberty; not began to form, but began in full. Every woman was a woman before she was a woman, by that ludicrous standard.

I am sure we will have a lot of indignation from sex buyers on this point, but as a fifteen-year-old child with developing breasts I was abused by a multitude of these men every day; men, some of whom would never have considered themselves paedophiles or predators or abusers – and I saw the same men pay to use the bodies of other adolescents with breasts, one of them just thirteen years old, so I can assure the reader that these men assured themselves wherever there was the presence of breasts there was the absence of childhood.

Added to this, men who buy sex are obsessed with the act of despoilment; they are, as a group, blatantly obsessed with the desire to fuck the youngest girl they can find. The upshot of this of course is that there is great commercial value placed on youth in prostitution. I have thought at length and written a little about Prostitution and the Commercial Value of Youth, and I know both that this exists as a reality in prostitution and that is speaks with great clarity to the putrid sexual selfishness I’ve just mentioned.

So adolescents are fair game in prostitution; I’ve made my point, but it’s important also to look at an uncanny resemblance here: adolescence is the physical reality, the mirror image made flesh and form, of that place where a woman is halfway between being prostituted and being trafficked. That point where women go to other countries knowing they’ll be working in the sex trade, but not knowing what that reality really means, or not knowing that they’ll be charged four and five figure sums for the privilege of their prostitutions organisation. This is another of prostitutions in-betweens. They exist in various forms, and very often these mid-spectrum situations are misrepresented and then misappropriated so that they can be used to gloss over the reality of the sex trade. For example those women who are working back thousands of euros/dollars/pounds of money they supposedly ‘owe’ are not classified as trafficking victims, although that is what they are. The sex industry calls them ‘independent escorts’ and ignores and erases the misery of their lives.

In the same way, people who live prostitution during the transition between childhood and adulthood must be mislabelled and filed away, inconvenient as they are. They must be either a child or an adult according to the sex industry, and also, disturbingly, to some anti-trafficking groups. Some groups decide to find a way around this by subdividing adolescence into stages where those from twelve to fourteen are deemed worthy of sympathy and attention, while fifteen to seventeen-year-olds are brushed to one side with the gut-churning excuse that they have so much more ‘personal agency’.

When, I would like to ask the senior members of these groups, did my personal agency begin? Because by their criterion it seems to me it began at the stroke of midnight as I entered my fifteenth year, which makes me feel like a very sorry version of Cinderella; except the slipper in this fairytale was never going to fit because it had been shattered, and believe me, Prince Charming was nowhere to be seen. I had no more personal agency at fifteen than I had the year before, in fact I had significantly less, because at fourteen I had only six months of homelessness behind me; at fifteen I had a year and a half. In homelessness your desperation increases with time, not decreases. If people think ‘personal agency’ always increases with the forward march of time they are lucky people who’ve never had to deal with the miserable conditions of their own lives intensifying with time, and they’re obviously so detached from that life experience they’ve never even considered it.

By drawing distinctions between trafficking and prostitution, between under and over eighteen, some well-intentioned anti-trafficking organisations acquiesce to the perpetuation of a system known to be extremely violent and damaging while continuing to stigmatise and blame most of its victims. This stigmatisation maintains the disempowerment and marginalisation of the same population these groups want to help. It also empowers the predators who prey on our most vulnerable, whether under or over eighteen.

FreeIrishWoman

ARTICLE 14

Prostitution and the Commercial Value of Youth – Posted on June 3, 2012

People who argue that prostitution would be free of coercion, trafficking, the exploitation of minors – and everything else that prevents it from being some kind of all-above-board consenting-adults-only autonomy party – are people who ignore one vital aspect of prostitutions reality. It is the commercial value of youth.

Just as in some actual industries, like modelling or professional dance, youth is highly prized among attributes. Unlike modelling or dance though, youth in prostitution is prized far above beauty and the fluidity of movement. In order to be most highly in demand in prostitution, you don’t need to be the prettiest flower in the field; you just need to be among the youngest. And what you can or cannot do with your body is irrelevant; it just matters that it hasn’t been on the planet for very long.

One of the commonest questions that comes through on any brothels phone line is ‘What age is the youngest girl you have?’ I could not count the times I have been asked that question, and I defy anybody who has answered a brothels phone to tell the blatant lie that it is not the commonest question they’ve been asked too.

The commercial value of youth is so profoundly built-in to prostitution that women routinely lie about their age in order to generate more business. The clients know this, of course, and even as women are shaving a few years off clients are adding a few on. ‘I’m twenty-six – I’ll tell him I’m twenty-three’ / ‘She’s twenty-three? – that means she’s twenty-six’.

Nobody’s fooling anybody here, and the only thing the whole pathetic charade is any good for is the revealing nature of what’s going on behind the pretence. What it reveals, of course, is that men who buy bodies for sex usually want to buy the youngest body they can find.

Last year it was reported to the BBC that prostitutes as young as thirteen were working the streets in Swindon, in the English county of Wiltshire. “Come here at the weekend and you’ll get 13-year-old girls to 19-year-old girls out here”, one prostitute told reporters.

When I read reports like these I just sigh. It tires me to pre-empt the shock people will express. It tires me to imagine that shock, whether it is genuine or not, because if it is genuine then that proves we have a long way to go in educating people about the reality of prostitution, and if it is not, well then, here is yet more in a tsunami of evidence that there are those who do not want the reality of prostitution understood.

Whenever any evidence of teenaged prostitution is revealed the pro-prostitution lobby move immediately to put forth the preposterous assertion that this town is somehow different or unique. The attitude is always either ‘thirteen-year-olds, good Lord, who ever heard of such a thing?’ – or ‘thirteen-year-olds, good Lord, we could clear up this situation if we legalised prostitution!’ – as if somehow the demand for adolescent bodies would vanish if only we’d make the sale of adult bodies okay!

Usually, however, they will simply deny that adolescent prostitution is widespread, or that adolescents are much in demand in the first place.

‘How do we know this is true?’ will come the query from the pro-prostitution lobby. It is not a query in the genuine sense of the word. A real query seeks an answer. This query seeks to obscure the same answer it purports to be seeking.

This will seem strange and confusing to some people. It is neither strange nor confusing to me; I’ve been exposed to the tactics of the pro-prostitution lobby for too long to be surprised or confused by these sorts of seemingly tangled and nonsensical tactics. What people need to understand is that they are not nonsensical. These are obscurest policies and they are purposeful and predictable, and when you understand their purpose you will have no problem predicting them too.

Their purpose is consistently the same; it is to deny and refute the sick and twisted nature of what actually goes on in prostitution. The truth they don’t want to you know is that men who pay for sex will most often opt to pay for a fifteen-year-old over a seventeen-year-old, a seventeen-year-old over a nineteen-year-old, a nineteen-year-old over a twenty-one-year-old, and so on and so forth.

Now, let me be very clear about this – I will be called a liar for having asserted the above. It will be said that I am trying to demonise punters, that I am telling lies about their preferences and proclivities. I wish I was. In my first year in prostitution, when I was fifteen-years-old, I was used by countless hundreds of men; I truly couldn’t say how many. I saw up to ten men a day so you may do the maths for yourself (the thoughts of doing that calculation disturbs me). As I stated in my Examiner article back in February, men were so obviously aroused by my youth it made them climax very quickly, so I soon learned to tell them how old I was in order to shorten the whole ordeal. I made it a policy; it was one of the first things I said when I got into the car – not that I needed to bring up the subject because it was usually one of the first questions asked of me.

In all those hundreds of men, one man, just ONE, turned his van around and brought me back to where he’d found me.

So yes, those who advocate for legalised or decriminalised prostitution will do their damnedest to obscure the truth about the high commercial value placed on young bodies in prostitution, all the while squawking ‘Where’s the evidence? Where’s the evidence?’ – like some kind of belligerent and demented parrot, with all the repetitiveness and severe comprehension issues you’d expect. All beak and no brains, in other words.

This is to be expected; of course the pro-prostitution lobby don’t want you to know that girls who are post-puberty by only a year or two are routinely lusted after, sought out, highly prized and then abused for enough years ‘till they’ve lost much of their commercial value. If that was widely known, it would do a great deal of damage to the autonomous, sexually-liberated, empowerment fantasy depiction they are consistently trying to peddle.

As for ‘Where’s the evidence?’ – I don’t need to ask that question. When I was a fifteen-year-old prostitute I was FAR more in-demand than I ever was as a twenty-two-year-old, even though at twenty-two I was slim, pretty, and an extremely youthful woman; but therein lay the problem. I was a woman.

There is huge emphasis placed on the commercial value of youth in prostitution. ‘The evidence’ is in every brothel and red-light zone in the land, and I know that because I lived the evidence.

A good blog post typifying a particular ‘staid’ type of sex worker who happened to start working out of necessity early from environmental issues, but has somehow remained in the field by choice while not liking the field too much. Perhaps some personal issues about being denied other opportuunities when younger. @FreeIrishWoman seems to enjoy the sense of indignation working as a sex worker and who knows in some twisted manner, gains strength at the cutting at the conscience of her clients one can read from the writing. The ethical hirers who do want 100% consensual and a clear conscience should give this particular worker a skip. The ‘mean’ lot who gravitate from morality to desire from religious probably, would doubtless be twice attracted. While sex would be available, sex positivism is not to be found here!

Decriminalising prostitution could mean better safety and improved relations with police for sex workers. A series of gang attacks on brothels in east London has triggered calls for changes to the prostitution laws after victims who reported knifepoint robberies said they ended up being threatened with prosecution. A police investigation has been launched as senior Labour and Conservative members of the London assembly and the English Collective of Prostitutes allege that violent crime is being given a lower priority than less serious sex offences.

The attacks highlight the growing debate over calls for New Zealand’s pioneering decriminalisation of sex work to be considered – an approach recently supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers. What is said by sex workers to be a spate of robberies – involving cash and jewellery – coincides with an increase in police raids on east London addresses being used as brothels before the 2012 London Olympics.

The first address targeted was in Barking, east London, on 6 December. A video showing five men apparently breaking into another house in the area being used by sex workers is also being studied by officers. The women who made the first complaint allege they recognise some of the gang members from the YouTube clip. In a third attack, at a different address, a woman who worked as a maid at a brothel is alleged to have been raped by the gang. None of the victims there reported the offence for fear of being charged by officers with living off the proceeds of prostitution; the police say they are so far unaware of this incident.

The ECP said changes to the law, in response to fears over the forcible trafficking of foreign sex workers into Britain, have made it more difficult for women to work together in houses for safety. A letter of complaint sent by Niki Adams, a leading ECP activist who works with Legal Action for Women, to the borough police commander in Barking last month, said the way the investigation into the first incident had been pursued had discouraged “sex workers from reporting attacks”. The letter continued: “The 6 December attack was at knifepoint and the women felt they had to try and protect themselves. They think the assailants may well be the same people who have robbed them before, who have got away with it, and so have returned and become more violent as they have got bolder.

“Targeting women for prosecution in this way undermines any attempts to catch those who attack and exploit sex workers … We are receiving reports of incidents where women have been attacked and their attackers have told them brazenly that they know women won’t dare go to the police.” Adams believes there may have been as many as 20 attacks in the area over the past two years. The Metropolitan police confirmed it was aware of the 6 December attack and the YouTube video and is investigating whether the attacks are linked. “We can confirm that we were called to an alleged incident of aggravated burglary at an address in Victoria Road, Barking,” a statement said.

“Patrolling officers arrived at the scene and were quickly accompanied by scene of crime officers and detectives from Barking and Dagenham CID. Detectives also visited the venue on a further occasion to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. “Unfortunately, those at the address were unwilling to substantiate the allegation or further assist with the investigation despite a number of attempts for them to do so. The case remains under investigation and should any further information come to light it will of course be vigorously pursued.” The force said “a notice has been served to the registered owner of the venue in Victoria Road under the auspices of section 33a of the Sexual Offences Act 1956. The notice formally notified the recipient that they were liable to prosecution should the premises in Victoria Road remain in use as a brothel”. Referring to the YouTube video, the police said: “We are looking to see if the attacks are linked. Officers take any such reports extremely seriously and actively encourage all members of the community, particularly those who may be vulnerable to such incidents, to come forward and contact police. “Officers at Barking and Dagenham work hard to ensure that the borough remains a safe place for all residents. The welfare of victims remains our primary concern and we acknowledge that some members of the community are more vulnerable and susceptible to crime. “We strive to encourage and support female victims and to assist us further we are in the process of launching a bespoke multi-agency victim care service. This will see female victims receiving the best possible support and will include fast-track referrals to housing and health professionals as well as Safer Neighbourhood reassurance intervention.”

Prostitution itself is not illegal but associated activities – such as kerb crawling, placing advertising cards in phoneboxes and working in premises with more than one person available for paid sex – are outlawed.

Last November Simon Byrne, Acpo’s lead officer on prostitution and sexual exploitation, suggested there was a need for a fresh look at the legal balance. Then deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester, Byrne is in the process of moving to the Met as assistant commissioner. “There is a great amount of academic research available, much of which supports the view that an alternative approach is needed,” he wrote on his official Acpo blog. “An example would be the decriminalisation and regulation of brothels in Australia and New Zealand, not an answer to all of the related issues but certainly a solution to some.

“More of those involved in sex work in Australia and New Zealand can now access health services with ease, whilst maintaining more personal security in an emotive area for policing.”

Another proponent of reform is Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London assembly. “The law is framed so as to put women [sex workers] into the most vulnerable position,” he said. “The changes brought in by the last government seemed to [be derived from] the view that every single worker in the sex trade was trafficked. “People are not willing to come forward over these attacks. When they report them, the women themselves have had action taken against them. I’m compiling a report on the problem for Boris Johnson.”

Len Duvall, the leader of the Labour group at the London assembly, said: “We need to examine in greater detail information and case studies from those countries that have sought to legalise prostitution, including the model put forward by New Zealand, especially if it provides a degree of protection for sex workers and reduces crimes associated with prostitution.

“Where brothels have not posed a problem to the wider community and there has been no evidence of sex trafficking, I have heard evidence that the police have taken an inconsistent and heavy-handed approach in dealing with sex workers. There is also evidence that crimes against sex workers are being ignored.”

Earlier this month, Sheila Farmer, a sex worker who operated with other women out of shared premises, had charges of brothel-keeping against her dismissed at Croydon crown court. The Crown Prosecution Service said there had been no change in enforcement policy; the unexpected failure of a witness to appear led to the charge being withdrawn. Farmer said she had chosen to work with other women for safety because she had been attacked previously when working alone.

Nigel Richardson, the solicitor who represented her, said he was aware of another case in Surrey where women had reported an attack on their flat from a rival operation. “They were visited by two men who threatened the women and were pouring petrol around the place,” he said.

“My client called the police. Officers intially took the attack very seriously but eventually arrested my client. The men were never brought to book for an assault but my client was prosecuted for running a brothel.”

Tim Barnett, the British-born former New Zealand MP who pushed through his adopted country’s decriminalisation legislation in 2003, was in London before Christmas where he briefed Boff and Duvall. “We said let’s make the law the best to minimise harm,” he said at the time. “We set up a review of the legislation. A number of people said the number of sex workers would rise.

“So we reviewed it after five years in 2008. The review didn’t find any increase and there was an improvement in the relationship with the police. Sex workers were using their rights under the legislation to deal with poor-quality brothel owners or clients who had been behaving abusively.”

Think deeper and not be influenced by the agenda laden NPPs . . . this is NOT to be used as ‘proof’ of support of rape. This is the offense that might cause rape . . .

ARTICLE 16

NHS doctors to be forced to work weekends for the first time in push for improved seven-day a week care – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 15:45 GMT, 16 December 2012 | UPDATED: 23:19 GMT, 16 December 2012

Oupatients appointments and surgical procedures could be carried out on Saturdays and Sundays for the first time
The shake up is part of plans by Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the new NHS Commissioning Board

Seven days: Sir Bruce Keogh plans to introduce seven day working to the NHS

Doctors could be forced to work at weekends under plans to create a health service with supermarket-style opening hours.

Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS’s medical director, said that patients, like shoppers, should be entitled to the same quality of service on Saturday and Sunday as during the week.

He said it was no longer acceptable for hospitals and GPs’ surgeries to operate for the convenience of their staff at the expense of patients and that clinics and day case operations should be available seven days a week.

It should also be possible to get weekend hospital appointments for scans and GPs should provide slots to treat patients at weekends, he said.

The proposal is to be considered by the NHS Commissioning Board in an effort to improve access to healthcare.

He told the Sunday Times: ‘Our system has been based around providing as good a working environment as you can for the people who work in the health service, which isn’t necessarily matched with what the people who want services have.

‘If you wanted a day case operation, and you didn’t want to take a day off work, why can’t you have it on a Saturday or Sunday?’

‘Tesco have had to go through this – it was a complex issue for them – we will need to look at the terms and conditions or service of people.’

He added that having empty clinics and operating theatres on a Saturday and Sunday is a waste of NHS resources.

Research by the board found that a patient admitted to hospital on a Sunday was 16 per cent more likely to die than if they were admitted on a Wednesday.

Keogh can introduce the changes and implement financial rewards and penalties to ensure that hospitals follow the guidelines.

Contract changes: Many medical professionals will have to work Saturdays and Sundays for the first time

The plans will no doubt anger doctors who will be keen to protect their current working hours.

Medical professionals will not receive any extra money for working weekends but will be given days off in the week instead.

The proposals will be fully outlined in the NHS Commissioning Board’s first planning guidance which will detail how health funds will be spent ahead and which will be released on Tuesday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) last night rejected the idea that that the medical profession could learn from private firms such as Tesco but it was ‘open’ to discussing seven day working.

How to charge for medical treatment.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Try this. Instead of all doctors having Saturdays and Sundays off, some doctors could have Mondays and Tuesdays off, then the overlap from different shift doctors should cover everything.

Day shift should focus on geriatrics and paediatrics (adult people working will put off visits to nighttime and will not visit during the day) while evening shift will be more popular for the adults. Midnight shift should have the least staff (most people sleeping), though everyone not of the above groups might visit, emergency services from racers gettti8ng into accidents and drunks getting into fights will make up the most of this shift. The fact that the one can get medical aid 24/7 makes for a safer feeling in any district overall.

ARTICLE 17

Is this the end of paper banknotes? Plastic version could be in your pocket in just three years – by Rebecca Evans – PUBLISHED: 00:04 GMT, 17 December 2012 | UPDATED: 00:04 GMT, 17 December 2012

Overhaul could see environmentally-friendly notes introduced from 2015
Have proved a success since being introduced in Australia in 1988
Plastic lasts much longer and are more hygienic but more expensive to make

Plastic banknotes are set to be introduced in Britain, replacing the paper money used for more than 300 years.

The radical overhaul could see the more durable, waterproof and harder-to-counterfeit polymer sterling notes in circulation within three years.

The Bank of England has put out a £1billion tender from 2015 for the printing of notes at its press in Debden, Essex.

Paper money could be replaced within three years after being used for more than three centuries

Part of this process demands that bidders are able to cope with the change from paper to plastic from the start of the contract.

Since 2003, the contract has been held by De La Rue – one of only two makers of polymer notes.

The company, which prints more than 150 currencies, has just produced new plastic banknotes for the Pacific island of Fiji.

Plastic notes were first introduced in Australia in 1988 as a measure against counterfeiting.

They have proved a success, and are apparently particularly popular with surfers who are able to keep money in their pockets without it disintegrating.

Other countries to issue polymer notes include New Zealand, Romania, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and Vietnam. In Northern Ireland, a plastic fiver was introduced in 1999 to mark the Millennium.

The Bank’s chief cashier Chris Salmon has already said plastic notes were being looked at as a possibility to replace paper money

Plastic notes last much longer than cotton fibre-based paper ones. For instance, an Australian $5 bill lasts about 40 months, against six months for a £5 note.

Polymer notes are more hygienic as they absorb fewer bacteria, harder to tear or crease – making them easier for vending machines – and waterproof, even able to survive being put in the washing machine.

A key feature is a clear window, which normally contains an ‘optical variable device’ that splits light into its component colours and is extremely hard to counterfeit. Plastic notes can also contain holograms.

They are also more environmentally friendly as fewer need to be produced and they can be recycled.

However, they are considerably more expensive to produce and would create an initial cost as ATMs and vending machines would have to be adapted to accept them.

The Bank’s chief cashier Chris Salmon had already revealed it was investigating the possibility of polymer or plastic-coated banknotes.
‘Today I’m going to make some £20 notes out of this old plastic washing-up bottle’

It is understood that the Bank will initially introduce lower denominations, such as the fiver, which are in wider use so become dog-eared more rapidly.

De La Rue’s chief executive Tim Cobbold said: ‘If you think about the life of a banknote, it takes quite a hammering.

‘It’s being folded, it’s being crunched, it’s in and out of wallets and it could be in the wet or dry.’

But financial expert David Buik, of the retail and trading services firm Cantor Index, believes the conversion to plastic notes should not be rushed.

‘I think it’s something that needs to be more carefully thought out,’ he said.

‘Money laundering is a huge problem and if the security measures introduced could be used to make notes more traceable, then that would be very good.

‘But it needs to be applied internationally, the major countries all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet.’

A spokesman for the Bank of England said: ‘No definite decisions have been taken yet but the Bank is considering all options.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Paper 300 years? Try precious metals 3000 or more years. Barter possible more than 30,000 . . . Parallel currencies in PM used in the manner of barter should put an end to the plastic note b.s.. Make your own localised currency citizens! Stop ceding economic control to central national banks.

Trafficking class for men using prostitutes – August 13th, 2012 – 09:26 AM ET By Richard Roth and Patrick Feeeney

CNN – More than 25 men sit in an attorney’s office – each was arrested for prostitution-related offences and each is now trying to avoid jail.

But this is not a defense lawyer’s office. It’s the Brooklyn district attorney’s office and the road away from jail is a lesson in the risks of using prostitutes – Johns School.

Assistant District Attorney Grace Brainard tells them: “The crimes you were arrested for would lead to one penalty and one penalty only and that is jail time. And the next time you are arrested for prostitution, jail time will be the only offer on the table.”

The men were arrested for attempting to pay for sex from undercover policewomen posing as prostitutes on the streets of New York. Men who solicit prostitutes are so-called ‘johns’ and this gathering is known as Johns School.

It’s a program that teaches the dangers and penalties of prostitution and sex trafficking. It’s been going on for the past 10 years under the official name of Project Respect conducted by the Kings County (Brooklyn), NY District Attorney’s office.

Because of their clean record of no previous arrests, the men were given the opportunity to take the three-hour plus course – which cost them more than $300 – and avoid time behind bars. They could have had their day in court but risk of jail time was of great concern.

Rhonnie Jaus, the chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau, said the class attempts to sensitize and educate the men on the dangers of prostitution to both the John and the prostitute.

“You think you’re having sex with an adult, and it turns out it could be something quite different,” Jaus said, “It could be a trafficked child brought from China, brought from South America, so there are many different ramifications of this crime.”

Brainard emphasized that most girls enter prostitution between the ages of 11 and 14. “They were children when they entered this life,” she said.

The men also listened to a lecture from Rosetta Menifee, a former prostitute who had contracted HIV.

“Obviously the goal is not for them (the johns) to do it again,” Menifee said, “but the reality is a lot of them will, so the goal is really to talk about what the risks are so that the have the knowledge of it from different perspectives, and hopefully they’ll make better choices.”

Different speakers pointed out the different risks inherent with solicitation.

Grace Pabarue, a public health educator at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, highlighted sexually transmitted diseases in a photo slideshow.

Former NYPD Lieutenant Jeff Anderson said a prostitute could be a potential threat to a John. “Some of them are emotionally disturbed, some of them abuse drugs,” Anderson said. “Many prostitutes can defend themselves, many prostitutes have defended themselves.”

One of the johns who wanted only to be identified as ‘Skeeter,’ said the course showed him different perspectives about the women forced to work in prostitution.

“Some of them have drug habits, maybe some of them work for pimps,” Skeeter said. “I wouldn’t feel good knowing that I’m paying that money, and it’s going to further keep someone so they’re enslaved.”

Prosecutor Jaus said that the sessions also help develop sex trafficking cases and can encourage johns to help prostitutes escape their situation.

“We’ve had a few cases in which the John actually brought the prostitute, who told him about the fact that she was being trafficked, to the police station,” Jaus said.

“He didn’t go in with the young woman, but he dropped her off because she was crying and told him, “look, I’ve been trafficked.””

Brainard told the johns they should report any case of sex trafficking they witness, even if they were soliciting at the time.

“Taking that step to get law enforcement involved does not mean you have to report it yourself,” Brainard said. “In fact, you don’t even have to give your name.”

At the end of the session the johns are given an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal. If they avoid arrest over the following six months, the arrest is wiped off their record.

Despite Menifee’s fear that many will continue using prostitutes, Jaus said the course, which started in 2002, has seen a success rate of more than 90 percent. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve had over 3,000 attendees of the John School,” Jaus said.

“So we’ve only had 26 people rearrested in Brooklyn for patronizing, who have gone through the John school.”

None of the other boroughs of New York offer such an alternative.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“Obviously the goal is not for them (the johns) to do it again,” . . .

Excuse me, what Johns do with consenting adults of either or indeterminate gender is their own business, and the sex workers who make their own choices as well. This article entirely ignores the issue of consensual prostitutes and nominally illegalizes (quasi moralist-fundo style) the act of buying or selling sexual companionship. Could someone from PONY or SWOP or a relevant advocacy group please communicate with CNN on this unwanted borderline demogoguery? Other than that, the article is well and good, especially the part where Johns should report trafficked women and even drop such victims off at the police station.

But CNN forgets the consensual and Red Light District workers who are there by choice, or even preference and even makes sex workers into potential psychos with all that ‘defending themselves‘ or ‘disturbed‘ or ‘potential threat‘ language. A John is going to have abit of relaxation then be off on their way, just like from caveman times, nothing new here, nothing to make laws around or be woo-woo about. Let feminazi, alpha john, LGBT or good family have their spaces, there will however by no spaces for ‘proselytize into oblivion’ fundo-idealogical types trying to destroy spaces for any specific group.

ARTICLE 2

Prostitution should be legalized in Malaysia – Friday, August 6, 2010

The Star of August 6, 2010 highlighted on its front page the case of a van driver in Petaling Jaya accused of raping two minors. Why didn’t he satisfy his lust in a cheap brothel in Kuala Lumpur’s red-light districts such as Lorong Haji Taib or Brickfields? Simply because there are no more cheap brothels left for him to patronize! (A van driver can’t afford a RM200 full-service package in a high-class spa, can he?). Depending on which side of the fence you are on, it’s either thanks or no thanks to the efforts of our police. However, it has been postulated that the non-availability of sex workers to men who can’t control their desires is a contributing factor to rape. (I prefer to refer to prostitutes as sex-workers because they perform a service).

According to a website (http://prostitution.procon.org), prostitution is legal in 50 countries, enjoys limited legality in 10 countries, and is illegal in 40 other countries. Every men worth his testosterone knows the nearest sex haven is across the Causeway in Singapore’s Geylang district. If a country that bans chewing gum can permit prostitution and legal brothel ownership, something must be good to it. Of course, I’m referring to voluntary prostitution by adults, not forced prostitution or trafficked women. Just compare the number of sex crimes in Singapore as a percentage of its population to the same statistic for Malaysia.

In fact, empirical evidence has established the correlation between the lack of brothels and high number of rape cases in the following studies:

–Kirby R. Cundiff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Finance at Northeastern State University in his working paper entitled “Prostitution and Sex Crimes” submitted to Independent Institute on Apr. 8, 2004, wrote: “It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United States, the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% for a decrease of approximately 25,000 rapes per year…. The analysis seems to support the hypothesis that the rape rate could be lowered if prostitution was more readily available. This would be accomplished in most countries by its legalization.”

–R.N. Barber’s article entitled “Prostitution and Increasing Number of Convictions for Rape in Queensland” (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 1969 (vol. 2 issue 3) stated: “A study conducted in Queensland… show[ed] a 149% increase in the rate of rape when legal brothels were closed in 1959, while other offenses against the person by males increased only 49%.”

So, my point is that sex workers perform a role in society by allowing men and women to relieve themselves of sexual tension and desire. Without this biological urge, given by God, humans would have become extinct long ago. Therefore, prostitution should be legalized in Malaysia and strictly regulated, of course.

If Turkey, which has a 99% Muslim population, can legalize prostitution, why not our country? Also, according to the Coalition Against Traficking in Women, Indonesia, another Muslim-majority country, has “localised bordello complexes, or ‘localisasi’ managed under local government regulations”. (http://www.catwinternational.org)

Sex website http://longpenisworld.com stated: “Though prostitution is technically illegal in Indonesia, the government continues to run and operate the Kramat Tunggak, a red-light district in North Jakarta. The largest in the world, the district spans 28 acres, with more than 220 brothels populated by between 1,000 to 2,000 girls.”

Another point is that so much attention is focused on female prostitution that male sex-workers are often overlooked in terms of arrests. For instance, why are female sex-workers always targetted in anti-vice raids? Have we ever read news of gigolos being caught by our anti-vice police? Yes, but seldom. (Even so, our mainstream newspapers don’t bother to show pictures of the arrested male sex-workers but pictures of female sex workers are often splashed prominently in prime pages.)

The scores of male sex-workers in our gay massage parlours, spas and gyms are often left alone to enjoy their sodomy in bliss, not to mention the straight studs servicing ageing widows, divorcees, old spinsters and bored housewives with impotent husbands. (A Google search will hook up several Kuala Lumpur-based agencies offering male escorts).

Industry sources have told me stories of policemen posing as customers to visit brothels and nabbing female sex-workers. If the law is to be imposed across genders, shouldn’t policemen also pose as customers in gay massage parlours to nab male sex-workers? Maybe catching male prostitutes is not fun enough for our he-man cops?

Also, why aren’t our policewomen pretending to be customers of masseurs-cum-gigolos and arresting them when they offer sex?

Gender equality should also extend to the way sex-workers are handled by the police.

Definitely an alpha minded type writer, ladies look no further for an example of alpha minded MALE, (guys – here’s that role model missing from society or your henpecked home conditions), though does not look particularly alpha, (well maybe was much bigger/muscular/hairier when younger . . . ) all Ewe needs is to have a music production business on the side and to put on that shiny suit, give Dr. Detroit a run for the money . . . Ah the era of wine, women and song for non-Muslims in Malaysia can begin if alpha males finally legislate legalized RLDs or adult (film) industry . . . run for candidacy in the informal RLD districts in Malaysia, the syndicates would be glad to become legal and have access to legal workers with the adult patrons having access to legal workers as well as the sex workers possibly being able to demand a pension plan as well, instead of running around playing catch with the cops.

Ewe Paik Leong is a Kuala Lumpur-based writer and editor. He has held editorial positions in publications ranging in subjects from lifestyle, travel, business, building, healthcare and medical to motoring. Ewe is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, Diamond Bar, CA, USA. All articles are original and cannot be reproduced without his written permission.

ARTICLE 3

Lady Gaga rushed by fan, fires back at PETA over furs: Footage released – August 17, 2012 – by : Bryan Bard

Lady Gaga comes to Kim’s defense, tells PETA and the world she thinks she’s fabulous.

Lady Gaga is currently touring Romania, and the fur is flying. Yesterday the “Born this Way” diva issued a pointed response to the commotion over her suspected fur wearing. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has lashed out at Gaga for appearing in public sporting what appear to be real animal furs. And amid all of this controversy came an aggressive fan who got an up close view of the business end of Lady Gaga’s body guard.

Celebrity-Gossip.net is reporting that upon arriving at her hotel in Bucharest yesterday and greeting fans, one overzealous photographer attempted to shoot up Gaga’s skirt. This was met with a swift response from her security team who seized the camera. Later as Lady Gaga was exiting, another commotion erupted when what appears to be an overanxious fan rushed the “Bad Romance” singer for an autograph and was met with a quick smack down by a bodyguard. Watch the video here as posted by Eonline to see it as it happened.
Lady Gaga bodyguard slaps down fan

Earlier in the week, PETA attacked Mother Monster and called her a “turncoat” for appearing in public with various furs, and demanded to know whether any were real. Typical of our Gaga, she released a statement defending her right to do and wear what she wants, as reported by The Hollywood Gossip. PETA claims Gaga has said in the past that she hates fur and doesn’t wear it. It’s unclear whether she’s referring to real fur or just fur in general. In either case, the 26 year-old artist is not backing down to pressure from the organization nor some of her angered fans.

Lady Gaga’s statement in part says, “I want you to know that I care deeply about your feelings and views, and I will always support your philosophies about life”. She continues, “I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE. Particularly one that I respect. ‘Animal Rights’….I respect your views, please respect mine”. In between Gaga laments her other animal kingdom fashion-inspired outfits, never explicitly acknowledging whether any of it is authentic or not.

Gaga does make one particularly interesting direct reference to her infamous awards show meat dress. And it does seem odd to hold someone accountable for sporting an animal pelt when they’ve appeared in public wearing animal flesh. It would be an understatement to say that Gaga sees the artistic value in everything. Have you ever gotten past the outrageous costumes and listened to her songs? “You see a carcass, I see a museum piece de resistance”, she wrote.

Lady Gaga closed out her well thought out diatribe by addressing the recent flour bombing of Kim Kardashian by supposed PETA members. “And to campaigners, Save your flour to make bread for the children who are hungry. And Kim Kardashian is fabulous”, Gaga said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE.” said Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotti aka Lady Gaga.

Oh yeah? USA and the freedom of humanity by attempting to remove bad politicians or the TSA, if considered childish (moi prefers childlike in descripts of campaigns, and selfishness especially when one has so much, is most cynically adult) or abusive to campaign for, would only make this 1%ter part of the problem. The only way Evil can win is if Good does not act. So by not acting, guess what Evil any 1% entertainer is allowing to happen . . . by ignoring the starving, those needing policy change, stuck in prisons for non-crimes (that a governor could pardon or influence placement of pro-active judges who could overturn judgments by), needing younger politicians in power, when one has as much (though likely waning after this post) popularity and money as this that is put to no good end, one has already done violence by letting the abuse to the 99%ters occur without helping the 99% even as the 99% had bought tickets and albums etc.. to enable action by 1% plutocrat actors and musos. Is this childish?

Or will 1% plutocrat entertainers continue neglecting the fact that the 99% made them and now are suffering, need this 1% plutocrat to act for them now? Every ticket or album bought comes with a price and the spiritual debt is now upon those who due to the collective resources of so many can act but do not . . . despots like people who concur all the time, by saying this and thinking this way, 1% plutocrat entertainers will be now differentiate those who are followers or potential friends . . . shall the world divest from those who fail to return what was given rather than earned? A record or ticket does not sell itself and is not a one off thing either.

Field an ENTIRE ‘Freedom Party’ who will legalise pot and free all prisoners of pot related charges if TSA seems too much for ‘Gaga’ Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotti, set a precedent for action or set a precedent for plutocratic entertainer divestment . . . THAT would be ‘monster-worthy’. A 3rd Force political coalition instead of the hegelian dialectic. A monster would take on the creeps and retards running the government because monsters also hunger for power . . . prancing around naked with lights and props is NOT so monstrous as making a run for Governorship to implement REAL laws, abolish REAL laws or pardon non-crimes . . . oh and that ‘fan‘ who was ‘bashed’ by the guard . . . unless staged on purpose to create ‘drama’, this looks like an undue force amounting to Aggravated Assault case involving security at least, would ‘fan’ like to consult a lawyer if being hit in that manner was legal? How about something sexier where the fur wearing people get their furry clothes ripped off by fundos among PETA?

A group of former U.S. intelligence and Special Forces operatives is set to launch a media campaign, including TV ads, that scolds President Barack Obama for taking credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden and argues that high-level leaks are endangering American lives.

Leaders of the group, the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc, say it is nonpartisan and unconnected to any political party or presidential campaign. It is registered as a so-called social welfare group, which means its primary purpose is to further the common good and its political activities should be secondary.

In the past, military exploits have been turned against presidential candidates by outside groups, most famously the Swift Boat ads in 2004 that questioned Democratic nominee John Kerry’s Vietnam War service.

The OPSEC group says it is not political and aims to save American lives. Its first public salvo is a 22-minute film that includes criticism of Obama and his administration. The film, to be released on Wednesday, was seen in advance by Reuters.

“Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not,” Ben Smith, identified as a Navy SEAL, says in the film.

“As a citizen, it is my civic duty to tell the president to stop leaking information to the enemy,” Smith continues. “It will get Americans killed.”

An Obama campaign official said: “No one in this group is in a position to speak with any authority on these issues and on what impact these leaks might have, and it’s clear they’ve resorted to making things up for purely political reasons.”

Obama has highlighted his foreign policy record on the campaign trail, emphasizing how he presided over the killing of bin Laden, as well as how he ended the war in Iraq and set a timeline for winding down the war in Afghanistan.

However, Obama has come under sharp attack from Republican lawmakers who have accused his administration of being behind high-level leaks of classified information.

They have pointed to media reports about clandestine drone attacks, informants planted in al Qaeda affiliates and alleged cyber-warfare against Iran that Republicans say were calculated to promote Obama’s image as a strong leader in an election year.

The White House has denied leaking classified information.

The president of Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc, Scott Taylor, is a former Navy SEAL who in 2010 ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for a congressional seat in Virginia.

Calling itself “OPSEC” for short – which in spy jargon means “operational security” – the anti-leak group incorporated last June in Delaware, a state that has the most secretive corporate registration rules in the U.S.

It also set itself up as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)4 of the U.S. Tax Code, allowing it to keep donors’ identities secret. Spokesmen for the group declined to discuss its sources of financing.

Several group representatives say their main motivation for setting up OPSEC was dismay at recent detailed media leaks about sensitive operations.

In an interview, Taylor denied OPSEC had any political slant. He described the group as a “watchdog organization” but added that the current administration “has certainly leaked more than others.”

OPSEC spokesmen said the group has about $1 million at its disposal and hopes to raise more after the release of its mini-documentary, entitled “Dishonorable Disclosures,” which aims, in spy-movie style, to document a recent spate of leaks regarding sensitive intelligence and military operations.

Following the film’s release, OPSEC’s spokesmen said, the group expects to produce TV spots on the anti-leak theme that will air in a number of states, including Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina and Nevada – key battleground states.

Fred Rustmann, a former undercover case officer for the CIA who is a spokesman for the group, insisted its focus on leaks was “not a partisan concern.” But he said the current administration had been leaking secrets “to help this guy get re-elected, at the expense of peoples’ lives…. We want to see that they don’t do this again.”

Chad Kolton, a former spokesman for the office of Director of National Intelligence during the George W. Bush administration who now represents OPSEC, also said the group’s message and make-up are nonpolitical.

“You’ll see throughout the film that concern about protecting the lives of intelligence and Special Forces officers takes precedence over partisanship,” he said.

Responding to criticism about the president taking credit for the bin Laden raid, an Obama campaign official pointed to an interview with CNN last month in which Admiral Bill McRaven, commander of the raid, said: “At the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it was the president of the United States that shouldered the burden for this operation, that made the hard decisions, that was instrumental in the planning process, because I pitched every plan to him.”

“I think Admiral McRaven knows more about the President’s role in the bin Laden operation than this group,” the campaign official said.

Thats is why term limits are needed. So that the office cannot be used to protect this sort of credit claiming. Would a black or latino female president or Ameri-Red-Indian male be suitable for USA in the next election? Would give a strong message to the militant Islamists that USA is not all WASP and that the citizens are not all colonial occupiers but victims of the same.

Joe Publics of the above 3 types of President selections with enough resources to at least launch internet campaigns, you ready to run for President? Romney is worth 250 million, Maria Carey is worth 225 million, how about running for Governor at least? Oprah is worth 2.7 billion 10 times that of Romney, Madonna is worth 500 million 2 times that if Romney, how about running for Governor at least if not President divas? Beyonce’s networth as of February 2010 is $461 million & Jay Z’s net worth as of January 2010 is $785million, Snoop Lion’s worth 110 million still enough to at least take a Congressman’s or Mayor’s seat if wealth is to be a yardstick of what one can do. On the wealth distribution, if at very least not unused LAND distribution for the homeless and jobless at least? If Arnold Schwarzeneggar (terminated California policy for 9 years, not so good), could take up politics, why is the latino or black entertainer so shy? USA needs a new governance paradigm or USA is going down . . . Hollywood included . . .

If these people are so proud of ethnicity or gender equality have the media infrastructure, want to prove themselves so much, then run for the above posts and GTFO of Congress after 2 terms! USA’s 99?% need these policies that the mainstream term limitless do not want to implement! All that is needed to evil to triumph is for good to do nothing . . .

The DeKalb County medical examiner says a woman found dead in her home was killed by at least one of her five dogs.

Twenty-three-year-old Rebecca Carey spent her life rescuing animals, taking several into her home to keep them from ending up at animal control.

Carey’s best friend, Jackie Cira, went to Carey’s home when she did not show up for work on Sunday.

“There was a lot of blood,” Cira said. “And when first got there, it looked like she had fallen and hit her head.”

The DeKalb County medical examiner ruled Carey’s death was the result of dog bites.

Animal control took custody of the five dogs in the home – two pit bulls, two presas and a boxer mix.

Any dog that has bitten a person goes into a special isolation lockup at animal control.

Cira said she knows Carey’s dogs, and actually owned one of them, a therapy dog, at one time.

“Any dog she came into contact with, she brought out the best in,” Cira said.

Cira said she wanted the dogs she knew to be gentle to be spared punishment.

“I don’t know who did what, but I can say with certainty who did not,” Cira said.

Animal control’s interim director Tim Medlin told Channel 2’s Jeff Dore that the county can’t risk putting a killer dog with a family, and they have all been put down.

“We didn’t know which dog did which. I can’t be wrong. Not just myself, no one can be wrong in putting out a dog that possibly had to do with these type of injuries. I will not put another person at that kind of risk,” Medlin said.

Carey’s family declined to speak with Dore, but they issued the following statement:

“Rebecca Carey of Decatur was 23 years old and an avid animal lover. Since the second grade when she read the book Throw Away Pets she vowed to be a voice for all animals. She attended Georgia Perimeter College and worked at a veterinary clinic. Upon placing her first abandoned animal in a permanent loving home in 2003, she volunteered countless hours with rescue networks and animal shelters. There she did what she loved the most: rescuing animals from untenable situations to find them safe, loving homes.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Neurotech warning? For we know our pets well and fine excepting neurotech incursions . . . Don’t be afraid plutocrat entertainers, back up those attitudes with real action not entertainment industry slickness. Is Hollywood ‘in’ with the neurotech use? Guess who Carey is warning if this is even possible. Otherwise disregard this post. That would also confirm that some Hollywood types are just false personaes under the spotlight, but even worse than politicians IRL away from the spotlight. Perhaps this is why some of them are so wealthy and dismissive or neglectful of the 99% who buy their records/products etc. and make them so rich. As mentioned before – wealth distribution is needed (20 million limits?) not 1% domination EVEN by entertainer plutocrats. Making life entertaining is no excuse for sequestration of collective wealth of the nation when people starve or are homeless.

Any able to confirm the above deserve to be the intelligence community or watchdogs of the 99% . . . a really cool star would be cool with most of what is posted here, the ‘closet psycho’ NWO types entertainers for certain would pull something like the above. Don’t say I didn’t warn you AmeriCan’ts, not all ‘Stars’ may be as friendly or entertaining as they seem, and might have access to satellite neurotech if not trying to sequester organic energy exchanges naturally available to others, on the esoteric level there seems to be a spiritual war all around . . .

Lets hope some of these plutocrat entertainers actually act or debunk. USA is fighting a war that USA cannot fund, and when there are no monies for police because soldiers are protecting the USA, fully expect even entertainer plutocrats to be considered part of the problem. We only ask for those the 1% entertainer made so wealthy by buying their records or watching their films to give back by taking out the evil term limitless politicians and remembering to GTFO after 2 terms. After gaining the cash from the film goers, Arnold S. JOINED the 1% (just look at the policy written) . . . now will the rest of the 1% entertainers help the 99% who made the plutocrat (1% entertainer/muso funded by the people of the USA, also world) so wealthy?

A woman may be fined $600 for each day she provided free food to children in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood for the past few months.

Angela Prattis, 41, of Chester Township has been distributing free healthy lunches in a neighborhood that has a per capita income of $19,000 a year.

Prattis made no money from the meal distribution, and gave out food provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The “lunch lady” ran the charity out of her garage, to which about 60 children came, five days a week.

After the city council was alerted of the free lunches, it ruled that she would have to acquire a variance to give away food next summer – or pay a fine of $600 a day. The council considers Prattis’ deed a zoning violation. Three months of distributing food would instigate a fine of more than $50,000.

“It’s not like I’m selling food,” she objected.

“These kids are hungry. I’m not tearing down the community. I’m keeping the children out of harm’s way,” she said in a Fox News interview.

But a variance to distribute food would also be costly. Administrative fees for a variance would cost up to $1,000.

“You have houses here. The roofs are falling in, and they could be focused on a lot more serious issues than me feeding children,” Prattis said in response to the city council’s ruling.

The woman has three children of her own, takes care of a foster child and runs a neighborhood basketball program .

The township intitally threatened Prattis with fines for this summer’s food distribution, but withdrew them after news organizations began asking questions. Now, the township is allowing the woman to keep distributing food cost-free until August 24 – but next summer will be a lot more costly. Prattis told local news crews that she will continue helping her community.

“Tell me this program isn’t needed,” she said.

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Whats the back story behind this? Neurosuppressive drugs distributed by the Church into the food to control children? With enforcement taking the fall to keep the Church looking good?

ARTICLE 7

How America Can Slow Israel’s March to War – by DENNIS B. ROSS – Published: August 17, 2012 Washington

For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.

OBAMA administration officials have made it clear that they believe there is still time and space for diplomatic efforts to succeed in stopping Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability. But Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, has said it is time to declare that “diplomacy has failed.”

While Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has not yet declared the failure of diplomacy, he has spoken about its inability to alter the course of Iran’s nuclear program. In addition, he has told his cabinet that the nuclear threat from Iran dwarfs all the other threats Israel faces and pointedly added, “Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons.”

The words of Israeli leaders are signaling not just increasing impatience with the pace of diplomacy but also Israel’s growing readiness to act militarily on its own against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Although the United States and Israel share the same objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, the two differ on the point at which it may become necessary to act militarily to forestall the Iranian nuclear advance. I say “forestall” because neither America nor Israel can fully destroy the Iranian capability to build a nuclear weapon. Each country could set Iran back militarily, but neither could destroy Iran’s skill or technical and engineering capacity to develop nuclear weapons. Since 2007, when Iran mastered the full nuclear fuel cycle and the means to enrich uranium on its own, it has been too late for that.

Their differences on the possible timing of military action are a function of both capabilities and perspective. The United States has significantly greater military might than Israel and therefore feels that it can wait substantially longer than Israel before resorting to force.

Israel is less patient. As Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said, Iran is rapidly approaching the moment when the depth, breadth and hardening of its multiple nuclear facilities would produce a “zone of immunity” in which an Israeli military strike would lose its effectiveness. Mr. Barak believes that Israel must act before that moment.

But the issue for the United States is not only about military capacity. It is also about having a strategy for the aftermath of any strike on Iran. Because force could not destroy Iran’s nuclear capability, military action must be seen as a means and not an end. And it must be employed in a way that would contribute to the objective of setting back the Iranian nuclear program so that Iran is both less able and less willing to reconstitute it. At a minimum, that would require keeping Iran isolated and under severe economic sanctions after its nuclear facilities had been attacked.

Israel surely recognizes the importance of having a post-strike strategy that could succeed in keeping Iran isolated. But, perhaps because Israeli leaders find it difficult to surrender the military option while still facing what they perceive as an existential threat, they tend to believe that Tehran’s behavior will produce a unified international position against Iran, even after a military strike.

In the words of one senior Israeli official: “The sanctions regime may be hurt for a time, but afterward it will recover, as will the diplomatic pressure on Iran, as will the intelligence battle against Iran. This is because the basic interests of the international community regarding Iran will not change.”

The perspective of the Obama administration is different. From its standpoint, the isolation of Iran did not just happen on its own. It took considerable effort to persuade and mobilize the international community to impose crippling sanctions.

For the United States, this context matters. America thinks in terms of shaping an international environment so that if force becomes necessary it can be justified because diplomacy has been demonstrably exhausted and Iran, by stubbornly refusing to alter its nuclear program, will appear to have essentially brought war on itself. Preserving Iran’s isolation in the event of a military strike will require denying Iran the ability to present itself as the victim.

In other words, before a military strike, it is essential to demonstrate that Iran was not prepared to accept a civil nuclear power capability with the kind of limitations that would prevent it from being able to produce nuclear weapons on short notice.

Israeli leaders wouldn’t dispute the desirability of showing that diplomacy — and the use of crippling sanctions — had failed to change Iran’s behavior. But Israelis clearly fear that their clock will run out on them and that Israel, in the words of that senior official, “will no longer be a player at that point.”

The key questions for policy makers in Washington today are whether there is a way to extend the clock from an Israeli standpoint and whether it is possible to synchronize the American and Israeli clocks so that we really can exhaust diplomacy and sanctions before resorting to force. Four actions by the United States could make this possible.

First, the United States must put an endgame proposal on the table that would allow Iran to have civil nuclear power but with restrictions that would preclude it from having a breakout nuclear capability — the ability to weaponize its nuclear program rapidly at a time of Tehran’s choosing. Making such a proposal would clarify whether a genuine deal was possible and would convey to Israel that the American approach to negotiations was not open-ended.

Second, America should begin discussions with the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany (the so called P5+1) about a “day after” strategy in the event that diplomacy fails and force is used. This would signal to both Israel and Iran that we mean what we say about all options being on the table.

Third, senior American officials should ask Israeli leaders if there are military capabilities we could provide them with — like additional bunker-busting bombs, tankers for refueling aircraft and targeting information — that would extend the clock for them.

And finally, the White House should ask Mr. Netanyahu what sort of support he would need from the United States if he chose to use force — for example, resupply of weapons, munitions, spare parts, military and diplomatic backing, and help in terms of dealing with unexpected contingencies. The United States should be prepared to make firm commitments in all these areas now in return for Israel’s agreement to postpone any attack until next year — a delay that could be used to exhaust diplomatic options and lay the groundwork for military action if diplomacy failed.

Although some may argue that these actions will make a military strike more likely next year, they are almost certainly needed now in order to give Israel’s leaders a reason to wait.

Dennis B. Ross, a former State Department and National Security Council official, was a special assistant to President Obama for the Middle East and South Asia from 2009 to 2011. He is now a counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Israel is less patient but only has a M.A.D. capacity without conventional or sufficient troops to control anything more than a large city at most. Without USA in full force, which will at this point indebt USA into insolvency unless fiat is going to be dropped after the war, there is no way Iran can be taken out AND controlled. Look at Iraq and the USA’s failure to ‘control’ the region. Or even supposedly low tech Afghanistan and Pakistan. USA should turn Iraq into a Japan with a permanent troop presence THEN consider Iran, otherwise no go. If Iran is twice as problematic as Iraq having twice as many citizens, even with USA and Israel in permanent occupation, and likely USA facing retaliatory bullying and even attempts at control by Russia (for the loss of the Soviet Union), Israel will either have to conduct a spiritually damning several decades long pogrom of Iranian citizens (that the USA had no capacity nor stomach nor ability to face the world later for) that would galvanise the entire Middle East region into WW3 and endless terror attacks everywhere . . . the MAD scenario solution is not capacity for combat or capacity for victory, and Iran will most certainly have nuclear weapons even as Pakistan does, yet does not destroy India (and Pakistan also) simply because of the fallout. There are many ways to win a war, and hearts and minds wise Iran is still somewhat crushed and hated, but take the war and occupation method, and Israel signs a death warrant. No country can stop a nation with the size and population of Iran from gaining nukes, Israel must conduct other types of warfare.

If Iran uses the direct conventional method even without Nukes, and Israel lacking manpower will be no more. If USA managed to CONTROL Iraq as colony without issue, PERHAPS, but if USA is unable to pull that off, that means conventional is off the table when 25% of Iran’s population does a ‘Zerg-rush’ on Israel. M.A.D. of course is a world irradiating non-solution that is not victory. Israeli citizens opposing are showing wisdom.

Perhaps Israel can cause insurgencies and rebellions but not use M.A.D. or occupations. Perhaps direct an asteroid at Iran from space at most. False flag an alien invasion with extreme conventional tech. Mind control satellites? 75 million nanomites with cyanide injectibles could work but that would be too obvious but would be as impressive though not as dramatic as air craft carriers in 1940s, and spiritually damning as hell. The future of war looks set to be nanoscale at least until nanoscale cleaners are employable. Doubtless the ‘grey goo’ scenario could create another MAD scenario as well. How about for now those who cannot get along just build a very big wall and not trade or communicate? Much easier and less problematic. Any power which needs to use nukes has already admitted defeat, and will also irradiate the world in the process. Real war needs conventional troops and ability to occupy. Israel has neither and USA should consolidate control in Iraq instead of starting a war with Iran which looks several times tougher than Iraq.

Left-wing Israelis protest in Tel Aviv on August 16, 2012, against Israel mounting a military strike on Iran. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

Tel Aviv’s bellicose stance against Iran’s nuclear program has sparked a pushback in Israeli society against politicians’ ambitions to strike Iran, with many demanding a peaceful resolution to tensions.

­More than 400 Israelis, including prominent academics, have signed an online petition appealing to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pilots not to obey hypothetical orders to bomb Iran.

The petition was initiated by Vardit Shalfi, a left-wing activist and editor of online magazine The Occupation, who said that there are many public campaigns against a war with Iran, but “none of them appealed to the executive level, the pilots.” The document calls a possible military strike on Iran a “highly mistaken gamble” that would come “at an exorbitant price,” and would not halt Iran’s nuclear program.

“You have the option of saying ‘No,’” the petition addressed to the pilots reads, according to Haaretz. “Certainly, this is not a simple option. It involves profound professional and moral dilemmas, and carries the risk of losing a career which is important to you and also the possibility of being prosecuted. Nevertheless, it is your duty to consider most carefully and seriously the possibility that by saying the little word ‘No,’ you will be rendering an important and vital service to the State of Israel and all who live here. This service would be infinitely more important than blind obedience to this particular order.”

The petition also warns of legal responsibility for the potential consequence of strikes against atomic facilities: “Israel as a country, as well as those carrying out the bombing might be charged with war crimes.”

Law professor Chaim Gans of Tel Aviv University argues that such military action would be illegal, and that “it is clear that the consequences of such a war would be destructive in every possible way.”

Some say that the strike could be legal, but still cause serious blowback. “There is no legal problem with striking Iran,” petitioner and Tel Aviv University law professor Menachem Mautner said, but he warned of the possibility of “very serious and far-reaching consequences” for Israel if it attacks Iran without US backing.

Similar petitions have also been circulated among Israeli society. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel has sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak outlining their fears about the consequences of a potential attack: “We will be the ones you will seek out to heal and put together what you have broken. We call on you: Don’t break. First do no harm,” Iranian Press TV reported the letter as saying.
Israel readying for war

Israel seems to be preparing for possible military action. A nationwide missile alert system has been tested this week, and gas mask distribution centers have been created across the country. Contractors have also been hired to fortify hospitals, schools and shelters, the AP reported.

Tel Aviv has engaged in long-running diplomatic appeals to halt or slow Iran’s nuclear program. They insist that Tehran is working to develop nuclear weapons, while the Iranian government claims their program is for civilian purposes.

Tel Aviv has repeatedly warned in the past few months that the window of opportunity for military action is narrowing, claiming that economic sanctions are incapable of stopping Tehran from acquiring the alleged nuclear weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have implied that an Israeli military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be launched in the fall, before the US presidential election in November.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main goal in this crisis is delaying Tehran’s nuclear program by a few years, even if Israel cannot entirely halt Iran’s nuclear program, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a speech today to the Israeli Parliament that taking action against Iran was “not simple, without risks or unintended consequences … I believe that it is inestimably more complicated, inestimably more dangerous, inestimably more complex, and inestimably more expensive in terms of human life and resources to deal with a nuclear Iran in the future.”

On Sunday, an anonymous senior Israeli politician (believed by the media to be Ehud Barak) said that Israel had already decided to act alone, the National Post reported. “We can’t wait to find out one morning that we relied on the Americans but were fooled because the Americans didn’t act. Israel is strong and Israel is responsible, and will do what it has to do,” the official said.

Tel Aviv has openly stated that it is prepared to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
A history of pre-emptive action

IDF forces carried out similar missions in 1981 and 2007, when they attacked unfinished nuclear reactors in Iraq and Syria.

Israeli President Shimon Peres challenged the prospect of a unilateral, pre-emptive Israeli strike in a televised address, saying that “Now, it’s clear to us that we can’t do it alone. We can delay. It’s clear to us we have to proceed together with America. There are questions about coordination and timing, but as serious as the danger is, this time at least we are not alone.”

Other prominent Israeli politicians also oppose Israel making unilateral strikes. Recently-resigned Kadima leader Tzipi Livni announced in May that Netanyahu is threatening the existence of the Jewish state with its hawkish stance against Iran.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also spoke out against the bellicose rhetoric, saying that “There is no reason at this time not to talk about a military effort, but definitely not to initiate an Israeli military strike.”

Washington has warned Israel on numerous occasions against premature action, insisting that time needs to be allowed for diplomacy and sanctions against Tehran to work. On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that military action against Tehran should be a “last resort.”

Panetta made some of his strongest comments yet on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions during a visit to Jerusalem earlier this month: “We will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Period,” he told reporters.

Only 22 percent of Israelis believe Panetta’s statement, according to an August 8 poll by the Dahaf Institute.

The survey also showed that a majority of Israelis believe that a nuclear Iran would pose a threat to Israel, and most say that Israel needs US assistance to stop Tehran’s nuclear program. Some 61 percent of Israelis believe Iran should not be attacked without consent from the US.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Israel’s barely 8 million of which for certain only 30% or less (children or elderly, non-combat civilians etc..) which are combat ready cannot take on Iran without the USA. If Iran is willing to suffer the pain, Iran could well overrun Israel before the USA gets there. Then the world will have less one aware bulwark against militant Islamists without Israel. If Iran strikes with nukes, Iran will also suffer radioactive fallout. Same with Israel using nukes. The Middles East loses out either way. Israel really should leave Lebanon alone meanwhile and help USA consolidate Iraq.

That was the response Friday from the Romney team after Obama’s campaign manager tried once again to wrench more tax documents from the Republican president candidate, this time by offering to refrain from criticizing Mitt Romney’s transparency if he agrees to release five more years of returns.

“Thanks for the note. It is clear that President Obama wants nothing more than to talk about Governor Romney’s tax returns instead of the issues that matter to voters, like putting Americans back to work, fixing the economy and reining in spending,” he wrote. “If Governor Romney’s tax returns are the core message of your campaign, there will be ample time for President Obama to discuss them over the next 81 days.”

The Obama campaign offer came after Romney said a day earlier that he’s “never paid less than 13 percent” in taxes over the last 10 years.

Messina, pressing Romney once again for documentation, wrote that he wanted to offer “assurances” to allay Romney’s concerns that releasing additional tax returns would just feed the Democrats’ appetite for more.

“So I am prepared to provide assurances on just that point: if the Governor will release five years of returns, I commit in turn that we will not criticize him for not releasing more — neither in ads nor in other public communications or commentary for the rest of the campaign,” Messina wrote.

Messina, notably, did not offer to refrain from criticizing the contents of whatever documents Romney might furnish.

And that’s the kind of criticism Romney has expressed concern about. Speaking on NBC’s “Rock Center,” wife Ann Romney voiced the same reservations. She said, before Messina’s letter was sent out, that releasing more returns would give Democrats more ammunition, and claimed the campaign would not be releasing more.

Mitt Romney tried to clear the air on Thursday over the issue, offering his most expansive answer yet on the topic while speaking to reporters outside a South Carolina airport.

“I did go back and look at my taxes,” Romney said. “And over the past 10 years, I never paid less than 13 percent. I think the most recent year is 13.6 (percent) or something like that.”

Democrats — most notably Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — have hounded him for months over the issue. Reid went so far as to claim on the Senate floor, without offering proof beyond an unnamed source, that Romney hadn’t paid taxes for 10 years, and then challenged Romney to prove him wrong.

Romney says the claim is “totally false.” But Reid and the Obama campaign dug in on their position that it’s Romney’s obligation to prove he paid those taxes — rather than their obligation to prove their charges are true.

Messina wrote in his letter that Romney would “only” have to release three more sets of returns — on top of the 2010 and 2011 returns.

“This request for the release of five years, covering the complete returns for 2007-2012, is surely not unreasonable. Other Presidential candidates have released more, including the Governor’s father who provided 12 years of returns,” he wrote, adding that the campaign is looking for answers on “the range in the effective rates paid, the foreign accounts maintained, the foreign investments made, and the types of tax shelters used.”

He closed: “And, I repeat, the Governor and his campaign can expect in return that we will refrain from questioning whether he has released enough or pressing for more.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Why so shifty? If Romney has nothing to hide, releasing tax forms should not be an issue. How can the voters trust a president who cannot even declare tax forms taxes or even assets? Probably there will be details on the tax forms that will confirm CORRUPTION.

While some people think to pack their toiletries in their checked baggage before heading to the airport just in case TSA counts toothpaste as a forbidden fluid, others are busy cramming spear guns, cannonballs, grenade launchers, venomous snakes and eels into their carry-ons.

According to a year-to-date report issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), all those things and more have been confiscated so far this year at airport security checkpoints across the country. Some travelers “bring some rather shocking items with them to the airport,” the agency stated in the Aug. 14 report.

[Related: Moscow-bound flight makes unscheduled landing after threat]

While screening more than 375 million people since the start of 2012, TSA agents have found 821 firearms, or an average of four guns per day nationwide. Of the total, 691 guns were loaded. One person attempted to get a gun past security by disassembling it and hiding the pieces in separate stuffed animals, while other travelers tried to hide their pistols in a pot plant and a hollowed-out book. [Are We Safer Today than on 9/11?]

“If the number of firearms we’ve discovered so far this year didn’t shock you, these examples might: a live 40mm high explosive grenade; a bottle wrapped in black electrical tape and filled with flash powder, and three M-80 fireworks; a black powder flask filled with 5oz. of black powder; even an explosively-viable cannonball; and last but not least, a live blasting cap,” TSA wrote.

[Related: Weapons found in two bags at Connecticut airport]

Along with the deadly weapons, agents have also found a lot of other stuff that’s dangerous but also just plain weird. Confiscated items include bear mace in a sock, eels, dead venomous snakes, a grenade launcher and even a gassed-up chainsaw.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Confiscation is as bad as stealing because many items are quite valuable or worth too much to let anyone take them away presumably to profit from. Amend those laws! Don’t they have a weapons locker (which cannot be accessed during flight for obvious reasons) for the weapons, or an accessible pet-cargo area (Eels if for pets . . . ), or a refrigerated storage area (Eels if for food . . . ) for all of the above? Only those who smuggle or try to sneak past could be fined no more than 1% of the value of the item at most. Cannonballs unless by some astral or ethereal or quantum issue that interacts in a negative manner with the equipment, are a non-issue, being harmless even compared to handphones which can have signals that interfere with equipment.

Paul Ryan is taking on the Obama campaign directly over Vice President Biden’s “back in chains” comment, calling them the mark of a “desperate” campaign as President Obama defends his running mate against bipartisan criticism.

In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News Radio, Ryan kept up the new tough tone that Mitt Romney set earlier in the week.

“You know, these are the kinds of things you say when you’re desperate in a campaign,” Ryan said of Biden’s comments. “I think you’re going to hear more of these things as we go on because they have a terrible record and can’t run on it so they’re going to kind of sink this campaign to these low levels to distract people.

“To try and you know, stoke the emotions of fear and envy, and it’s just not going to work. People are going to see through this. We’ve gone from hope and change to anger and division and blame and attack and I think people are going to see through this,” he said.

He also brushed off Sarah Palin’s recent suggestion on Fox News that he drop Biden from the ticket in favor of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and a Fox News contributor, had said Biden’s comments are the latest example of how he “really drags down that ticket.”

Obama, in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” downplayed Palin’s comments.

“We don’t spend a lot of time worrying about the chatter and the noise and this and that,” he said. “The country isn’t as divided with gaffes or some stray remark as Washington is. Most folks know that’s just sort of a WWF wrestling part of politics. It doesn’t mean anything, just fills up a lot of air time.”

He also said in an interview with People magazine that Biden’s remarks meant consumers would be worse off if Republicans succeeded in doing away with new restraints on financial institutions.

“In no sense was he trying to connote something other than that,” Obama said.

Hundreds of black people were in the audience when Biden added, “They’re going to put y’all back in chains.”

In Iowa for a bus tour, Obama said the reaction to Biden’s remarks was a function of politics, but he did not blame his vice president.

“The truth is that during the course of these campaigns, folks like to get obsessed with how something was phrased even if everybody personally understands that’s not how it was meant,” Obama told People. “That’s sort of the nature of modern campaigns and modern coverage of campaigns. But I tell you, when I’m traveling around Iowa, that’s not what’s on people’s minds.”

A prominent Democrat, though, spoke out against Biden’s comments Wednesday. The nation’s first elected black governor, Doug Wilder of Virginia, claimed the comments brought race into the presidential contest.

Romney alluded to Biden’s comment Tuesday evening in delivering a tough critique of the Obama campaign.

“His campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency,” Romney told a crowd of thousands at the final stop on his five-state bus tour. “Another outrageous charge came a few hours ago in Virginia. And the White House sinks a little bit lower. This is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like.”

He continued: “So, Mr. President, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago.”

“Particularly strange coming at a time when he’s pouring tens of millions of dollars into negative ads that are demonstrably false,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Romney has ALL the ethos, components of alpha and cool with an enviable circa 1800s (though somewhat fundo tainted) background lineage to boot, BUT Romney should not be in politics because the policy proposed by Romney kills the 99%. A pillar of society does not mean an ability to ensure good policy writing or an ability to be President. If USA is going to war WITH fat funding in the background, this is the heartless privileged guy who lived well and knew success all his life we all want to be (but obviously cannot . . . USA is overpopulated to disallow this sort of privileged type as the norm, maybe if USA was a population of 3 millions then yes . . . ) to vote for. But right now USA is in shambles economically and Romney can’t be voted now as the 99% and middle class would be wiped out resulting in a failed state. Romney is a SUPERIOR COMPONENT of the USA ‘machine’ (much like ROM chips), but cannot the the CPU.

Only someone bridging the disparate groups and not be so enmired in one group like business to be blind to the middle class and 99%, can do the President’s job. The 1% favouring policy proposed by Romney confirms this. Paul Ryan is the ideological weasel form of Dune’s Attreides hero (even looks abit like the guy, though ‘weaslier’) that may be suitable AGAIN to hammer USA’s enemies with INTERNALLY – BUT USA has not cleared up the mess in the Middle East yet. We might say that Romney is a man before his time . . . perhaps 20 years later when USA has a full wallet AGAIN (not just Romney and the 1% having that full wallet but everyone 99% else) could Romney run, the entire background conditions of the day for Romney’s success in this election look entirely wrong. Unless Romney and the 1% above 50 million all pitch in 70% of their wealth to cancel USA’s debt?

As the system runs now the 99% still are playing with fiat, should the ‘remove fiat’ suggestion be implemented or the fact that ‘there is no such thing as money’ reaches the 99%’s understanding, Romney and 1%’s opportunity for action will be closed forever any ‘electronic wealth’ they hold would be rendered useless, this could happen as soon as after this election if in a majority of congressional seats, Joe Public types come forward to stand and be elected by the 99%. Term limitless oligarchs who have gotten wealthy from corporate raiding like Romney and most of the 1% cannot be allowed to dominate US politics, so what will the 1% do? If the fiat system is to survive, ‘something drastic’ needs to be done, and that means plutocrat 1% types including Romney have to share their wealth with the 99% by cancelling USA’s debt . . .

Spirituality is not material wealth and cannot be shared in the same manner, what one accrues via spirit is not the same as material wealth, but that is for another article to cover . . . vote Joe Public or be Joe Public voters only!

An Auckland man who recorded a probation officer talking about supplying a paedophile with a prostitute dressed like a child says he has no doubt the incident actually happened – and likely more than once. Corrections have launched an investigation into the allegations, saying its first step will be to establish whether the recording was legitimate. A Corrections spokeswoman said the department would complete a review of the officer’s caseload to establish if he had worked with sex offenders, and who and what the statements referred to.

It said it was yet to verify if there was a specific sex offender in question. The investigation was likely to take around two weeks. The probation officer has been suspended while the department investigates. On the recording the officer talks about organising a prostitute for another offender as part of a ”safety plan” to control the offender’s risk. The West Auckland resident, who was also being managed by the man, said he recorded the meeting because he did not like some of the probation officer’s comments. He also took either his mother or father along to the meetings as a support person, because he didn’t want to be alone with the officer.

“It was disgusting. He was definitely talking about a specific sex offender, saying ‘I had this plan and this is what we did’.” On the recording the officer talks about the difficulty of managing people on home detention for ”pretty sick crimes” who ”still have a need for, for instance, child sex”. Referring to one case he says: ”I’m not able to supply them with child sex but we’ve worked out a plan where, hey, we’ll go out to get a prostitute who comes to the house and she dresses up as a child.”

The officer says it hasn’t stopped the offender’s urges but stopped him having to ”grab someone off the street”.

He then says: “It’s difficult talking about a chap who sits there in the lounge [and] gets sexually excited when the girls walk past going to school.

”That’s what we’ve had to do, and because of that help they’re kinda safe.”

The officer goes on to say the safety plan allows the child sex offender to integrate into the community.

”Instead of snatching someone or lurking in the bushes or progressing into something that could possibly put him into trouble he knows, he rings, happy fun times and she comes over, dresses up, does her bit and the pressure’s gone. He’s OK.”

There are 39 offenders in West Auckland who are managed by community probation services for sexual offences.

Corrections Department acting regional manager Alastair Riach earlier said the department did not provide or pay for the provision of prostitutes to any offenders.

”We aim to keep the public safe by working with offenders to change their behaviour associated with their risk of reoffending, and to develop a lifestyle that helps them to maintain these changes.”

Follow @AucklandNowNZ

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Exactly as envisioned. This is how society should deal with such proclivities. Put enough people in the right context and same place, and this becomes a rather dull subculture for those not interested. Civilisation means being able to do this. Being fundo means honor killings on either side, bloody tribal feuds or for Capitalists, psychiatric establishment drug sales or asylums (in the worst places of the fundo world also ‘Religious Correction Centres’), higly profiteering jail terms and jail contractors for so called crimes like smoking pot or being LGBT. Seems like the world needs to look at New Zealand for pointers on how to do this.

Very sex positive and instead of criminals, we get another facet of adult industry with taxpaying consumers. In the Universe of course, stranger things have happened than a supposed pimp dressing up a consensual and aware woman willling to ensure paedophiles keep their preferences in proper context. So who needs to chemically castrate or imprison or even persecute . . . so first, set up the socio-psychological infrastructure in the form of fetish clubs catering to whatever in adult districts. That as we all know is impossible for FUNDO societies and also Uncontrolled/Unlimited Capitalist societies . . . http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/tp/History-of-Prostitution.htm

ARTICLE 13

Pussy Riot to grace Playboy? – Published: 15 August, 2012, 13:50

Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikovas (RIA Novosti / Andrey Stenin)

Ukraine’s edition of Playboy is considering having one of the arrested Pussy Riot punk band members star on the magazine’s cover.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, the youngest of the three girls awaiting a verdict in the Pussy Riot trial may appear on the cover, if the Moscow court sets the girls free.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alehina, 24, and Ekaterina Samutsevich, 29, are charged with hooliganism after the band rushed into Russia’s main church and performed what is described as a “punk prayer” calling on Mother Mary to drive Putin away. The prosecutors want the girls jailed for three years. The verdict will be delivered on Friday August 17.

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Vlad Ivanenko told Izvestia daily that Playboy had already contacted Tolokonnikova’s representatives with the offer to arrange a photo shoot. Talks are currently suspended awaiting the court decision.

“Our magazine readers are active social networks users, where Pussy Riot girls have become the main trend over the past months,” Ivanenko said. “We see Nadezhda Tolokonnikova as an art-activist and believe that our readers will be enthused with her appearance on the cover,” he said adding that his deputy “dreams of marrying Nadezhda.”

Tolokonnikova is not new to getting undressed for public. In 2008 she and her husband Pyotr Verzilov were involved in an event including group sex filmed in Moscow’s Museum of Biology. Tolokonnikova was 18 and nine months pregnant. The footage was later posted on the Internet.

Pussy Riot has gained massive global support. Friday will see rallies for the feminist punk band members in at least two dozen cities around the world. Simultaneous demos will be held an hour before a Russian court gives its decision.

Many celebrities, such as Bjork, Madonna, The Red Hot Chilly Peppers, Terry Gilliam, Yoko Ono, and members of The Who and The Pet Shop Boys have spoken out for the girls.

The three girls on trial have already spent over five months in prison.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Only porn could defuse b.s. like this. Without porn, where would civilisation be?

1.4 million part-time workers say they are doing it because they simply can’t get full-time work
Some can’t afford to retire so work a few days a week
Overall unemployment is down 46,000 to 2.56 million in the last three months
Many more jobs in London because of Olympics, so unemployment could rise again after summer

Record numbers of Britons are working part-time after those struggling to find full-time positions pushed the figure above the eight-million mark for the first time.

Official figures show that 8.07 million people toil for fewer than 25 hours a week – the highest figure since records began in 1992.

One in seven of them would like to work longer but can’t find the job, while others only remain in part-time employment because they can’t afford to retire.

The grim figures came amid warnings that the so-called ‘Olympic effect’ – which has helped overall unemployment fall in recent months – will end after the summer.

Union bosses said the booming numbers of part-time workers only reflected soaring levels ‘despair and waste of human talent’ and they called for George Osborne to be axed as Chancellor.

Boost: Many people are taking part time jobs in supermarkets, shops and offices because they cannot get full time work

However, the Government has trumpetted the fact that overall unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for a year after a big jump in the number of people in work.

The jobless total fell by 46,000 in the quarter to June to 2.56 million, an unemployment rate of 8 per cent, according to the office for national statistics.

The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance last month was 1.59 million, down by 5,900 on June.

Most of the quarterly fall in unemployment was recorded in London, suggesting a big jobs boost from the Olympic Games that could go the other way after the summer ends.

Bosses hire hard-working foreigners because British youth are ‘lazy’, employers’ group warns

Experts are questioning how much the unemployment figures can ‘defy gravity’ at a time when the economy as a whole is contracting.

‘While this is undoubtedly good news, the latest labour markets statistics do raise questions about why they seem so out of kilter with other recent economic data.

‘It is therefore not clear whether these data herald better economic news to come and whether the Olympics can offer a lasting economic legacy.’
London jobs boost: Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for a year, an improvement thought to be down to the Olympics

London jobs boost: Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for a year, an improvement thought to be down to the Olympics

The number of people in work increased by 201,000 to almost 30 million, the highest since last summer, with half of the rise coming in London.

Average earnings increased by 1.6 per cent in the year to June, up by 0.1 per cent on the previous month.

Youth unemployment – for those between 16 and 25 – remains at just over one million despite figures showing a drop of 4,000.

Union leaders warned that Britain faces an unemployment rise once the Olympic effect has worn off and urged the Government to reverse its cuts plans.

Paul Kenny, leader of the GMB union, said: ‘These figures show the level of despair and waste of human talent in an economy going through this double-dip recession five years on from the credit crunch of 2007.

‘David Cameron and Nick Clegg should now conclude that George Osborne is simply not up to the job of steering our economy and he should be moved to make way for a change of direction as he has proved beyond doubt that it is not possible to deflate your way to growth.’

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said: ‘This small fall is welcome, but there will be no lasting Olympics legacy in the jobs market.

‘The end of thousands of temporary jobs will see unemployment climbing after the summer.

‘Students waiting for A-level results this week face a bleak jobs future. They are set to join the dole queues in high numbers as the hike in tuition fees has priced many thousands of young people out of their dream of going to university or into further education.

‘The Tories need to inspire a generation by rebuilding our economy and safeguarding the future.
Jobless rate: Two year figures reveal a recent drop to 8 per cent unemployment

‘This must include targeted help for young people, as a part of a wider programme of Government-led job creation. The continued austerity agenda is condemning our economy to the slow lane.’

But Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith suggested that the overall trend in the jobless figures was positive and insisted that the Coalition’s policies were helping to deliver future growth.

He said: ‘These are positive and encouraging figures demonstrating the strength of our private sector – notwithstanding the difficult economic times it is still creating jobs, the vast majority of which are full time. Unemployment is falling and the claimant count is down.’

Unemployment has fallen for five consecutive quarters, while the so-called claimant count was down for the first time since April.

But there was an increase of 1,600 in the number of women claiming jobseeker’s allowance to 530,000, compared with a 7,500 fall among men, to just over a million.

The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those looking after a sick relative, on early retirement, or who have given up looking for work, fell by 117,000 to 9.1 million, just over 22 per cent of the working age population.
Jobs trends: Unemployment and the claimant count over the past two years

Jobs trends: Unemployment and the claimant count over the past two years to the end of June

Around 150,000 people were made redundant in the three months to June, down by 21,000 from the quarter to March and 4,000 lower than a year ago.

There were 472,000 vacancies across the country in the quarter to July, up by 10,000 on the three months to April, and 16,000 more than a year ago.

But not everyone criticised the Government.

Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, said: ‘The labour market continues to defy gravity and is performing remarkably well given the extended weakness of the economy.

‘It is very hard to reconcile employment growth of 201,000 in the three months to June, with GDP contraction of 0.7% quarter on quarter in the second quarter, especially as this was a third successive quarter of decline.

‘The implication is that either the economy is doing appreciably better than the national accounts data show, the labour market is doing significantly worse than the hard data show, or productivity has genuinely weakened sharply. The jury is currently very much out as to what the actual answer is but it could very well be a combination of all three.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

In objective reality rather than socialised insanity’s outgrowth from civilisation, there were NEVER any such things as jobs or educational institutions, only apprentices and the craftsman manufacturers that weren’t going to take advantage of the 99% blue collars while the white collar management types got peanuts and the board of director CEO types took everything. After the War of Independence, some of the Tories pretended to be Americans who loved democracy so they wouldn’t get lynched for being redcoats. If the hidden Tories still in USA were so democratic they should have by now distributed the land and wealth ESPECIALLY the oil or gold or mineral wealth there and then – as the property of ALL the people, not just for those who happened to be settled there or with land rights, with the Native Ameri-red Indians holding the most rights . . . NOT continue the fiat and feudal tax system which has ballooned to an extreme form this day.

If the 99% knows whats good for them, they will vote only on the above premise and on a pre-vote statuary declaration by the proposed candidate to immediately ratify that bill to implement Socialism with Capitalist Limits immediately once in office AND only the Joe Public types or those millionaires not above 20 million are more likely to accede to the above pre-vote requirement – welcome to the War of Independence 2, this time to OVERHAUL the constitution and wealth distribution paradigm. Within this blog is described exactly what must be done, I haven’t collated the text yet, but distribution of wealth and land is the very first thing to be done. The 1% won’t like what they see but the 99% who are dying of poverty out there will definitely want to vote for that redistribution of land or money and must vote only for non-GLC Joe Public types only.

Being civilised though, USA should allow the 1% types to take out the fiat the 1% think they are entitled to (printing presses go into ooverdrive) THEN switch to PMs and imposed Wealth sequestration limits of 20 million. Those who do not have jobs should work their land, if they innovate, they get rich by patents but limited to 20 million in assets so that the rest goes to others to catch up in quality of life, the ‘trickle down’ effect is a myth, there is none, quality of life for the 99% has never been worse while the 1% never had better.

We will still see innovation AND better distribution of wealth, we don’t need homeless or beggars, nor do we need millions and billions worth plutocrats AND USA will truly belong to everyone (everyone gets a few acres of land USA has 2 billion acres of land – thats 6 acres each (actually every slave was given 40 acres when slavery ended), enough to grow and live off very comfortably unless having many wives or many children by a single wife – this automatically warns against overpopulation, at the same time there will never be a jobs problem again, the food/medicine from the ground/produce if they work the land is FREE (no more food stamps), there will be no homeless (everyone has land to build on, if they work hard they will be able to build palaces), finally MIGRANTS can be invited in to WORK FOR AMERICANS who have land, thereby creating options for EVERYONE as well as bringing in a useful menial class who can be fed and housed to work on manufacturing with materials from the land, and be sent home with some manufactured goods which obviously needs USA to innovate, as any country which adopts the above system will not need to send their people overseas with USA the most likely country able to implement EQUALITY in wealth, land and political power distribution.

The governments that are exploitative intentionally and slow on the implmentation of the above will likely be the countries USA or countries using the above system will get their menial workers from. This also says that free legalized migrants AND overpopulation AND lack of natural resources OR over-militarisation or expenditure on military adventurism will be the killers of any nation. There is no jobs shortage or homelessness or hunger if land and wealth is re-distributed. Try the below redistribution :

All unused land is distributed to all homeless or ‘poor’ then recalculating wealth as follows :

1 billion will be allowed to keep 20 million in PMs, 1 vehicle per family member (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better)
100 million will be allowed to keep 2 million in PMs, 2 vehicles per family (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better)
10 million will be allowed to keep 200 thousand in PMs, 1 vehicle per family (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better)
1 million will be allowed to keep 20 thousand in PMs, 1 vehicle per family (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better, who knows those who have caused the least pollution probably have the greatest say . . . )

This may seem extreme but because everyone will be producing food and goods (think 3D printers and DEFLATION due to less zeros held by the richest) will be produced by migrant labour, prices probably will return to 1800 era levels. (i.e. a horse cost $30 silver dollars, today 2010 $2000 therabouts or 60 times. So considering that, all above sums would be 60 times more in liquid asset, with $600K Rolls Royces or Sports Cars costing $10,000, a Fast Food Meal costing 0.99 should be worth 2 cents (0.016 exactly, maybe 3 meals for 0.02 cents – but who needs to pay for food when food is free), an Android phone would cost USD$3.33 . . . so voters please vote properly for a 2 TERM ONLY, Governor or Congressman or President who will do the above and put an end to this useless back and forth . . . as for manufactured goods for locals, ALL workers of any particular manufacturer are entitled to requisition a single unit of that item the factory produces, payment will be CENTS only, so people will work to obtain goods direct or to be exchanged via barter. This is calculated by man hours of work – doubtless a high tech handphone/computer should be worth more man hours than a t-shirt but if wifey at home can knit you a shirt, only the difficult to build items will be worked for (definitely not food or even energy with solar), with MANY people opting out and choosing quality of life instead of being insulted by being on the work line.

Although if the only way to get a tech gadget is by working on the assembly line, for certain the whole idea of work would be that much more meaningful though productivity may not be faster due to retraining etc.. If entirely automated then perhaps a single person could train the next to use the production line machines which does not require much training in reality except for when repairs are needed etc.. Education is not about money but interest in subjects. Jobs are a myth when wealth and land distribution is present.

Remuneration structures linked to short-term performance have created incentives for dishonesty and must be changed

There has been a lot of focus recently on a long and growing list of scandals involving some of the biggest global banks. Barclays has been in the spotlight for manipulating the London inter-bank offered rate and has been fined $460 million by regulators in the United States and United Kingdom.

But Barclays is not alone, the list of other banks involved includes some of the best-known global banks, from Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Deutsche Bank to HSBC, RBS and UBS.

In addition, JPMorgan Chase announced a fresh assessment of losses in the trading positions of its London-based unit, which have now been revised upward to $5.8 billion. Meanwhile, HSBC faces the threat of being fined up to $1 billion by the US authorities for allegations of laundering money and financing terrorists, and Standard Chartered has been accused by the US financial watchdog of violating anti-money laundering rules.

It is not surprising that the banking sector, already under attack in the midst of the global financial crisis, has been hit by a new wave of criticism. But most worryingly, trust and confidence in the financial system have reached a record low.

Although there are many reasons why the banking sector collectively has perpetrated so many misdeeds and broken ethical norms, greed is one of the root causes. Therefore, to fix the banking sector requires reshaping its corporate culture.

The values of an organization are shaped by its corporate culture. Of course, any business aimed at maximizing shareholders’ values must strive to make a profit, but the profit-making activities must be legal and morally acceptable. Experience shows that misbehavior in the banking sector often stems from the belief that only bonuses can reward people. Remuneration structures, often linked to short-term performance, have created incentives for dishonesty.

But as Greg Smith, who resigned as a Goldman Sachs executive director and head of the company’s US equity derivatives business, wrote in an article, “Why I am leaving Goldman Sachs”: “people who care only about making money will not sustain this firm – or the trust of its clients – for very much longer”.

Leadership plays an important role in shaping the culture of a bank. Clearly, the “tone at the top” is a key factor influencing how a bank operates. Moreover, qualified leaders motivate subordinates to work for the good of a bank, not just for themselves. In particular, executives of a bank should have a special responsibility to create an environment where people cannot do bad things. As Bob Diamond, Barclays’ former chief executive, once declared, “the evidence of culture is how people behave when no one is watching”.

Financial regulatory reforms will help banks change their culture. Imposing higher standards of capital adequacy and liquidity management can lower leverage ratios and increase loss-absorbing capabilities, thus reducing the appetite for taking risks and limiting profits in the banking system.

The scandals of the past months may have been a watershed in policymakers’ attitudes toward regulating banking services in many countries. From the Volcker Rule in the US, which prohibits proprietary trading business in banks, to the Vickers Recommendations in the UK, which separate banks’ retail business from their investment business, restrictive measures could force banks to be more transparent and change the incentives driving their behavior. It is important that banks stick to their core mission of supporting the real economy.

Regulators in Western countries should learn from their mistakes. The Financial Service Authority in the United Kingdom has reportedly tracked the price-rigging back to 2005. In April 2008, a Barclay’s employee told an analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that the UK bank was deliberately manipulating LIBOR, which was then briefed to the Bank of England and the British Bankers’ Association. But the regulators did not respond quickly and thus missed the opportunity to reform the system.

The effects of these scandals will stretch far beyond developed countries. Chinese banks and regulators must seriously consider how to further promote a healthy corporate culture and enhance the sector’s internal control mechanisms.

Usually, financial crises occur when what was thought to be low risk turns out to be very high risk. For this reason, the banking sector requires special regulation, because its failures have very big economic, political and social fallouts. In this respect, the nation’s top bankers must be accountable and of high integrity, no matter how intensified the competition becomes.

It is understandable that the recent scandals have enraged the public. Nevertheless, it is useless to direct perpetual “blame and shame” at the banks. Instead, the focus should be on how to inspire and encourage banks to fulfill their responsibilities and redefine their culture.

The banking business involves risks and its corporate culture cannot be managed by outside regulation alone. It must be cultivated internally step by step.

Social Security Administration says their request for hollow point bullets is for their staff’s safety

The US Social Security Administration wants Americans to know that they are concerned with the safety of their workers. That is why, they now say, they’ve ordered 174,000 rounds of lethal hollow-point bullets.

Responding to reports centered on the SSA’s recent request for tens of thousands of rounds of high-power, heavy duty ammunition, the agency tasked with assisting the elderly and disabled with federally funded benefit packages has attempted to explain their invitation for ammo makers to make them a deal.

“Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately,” a blog post from the SSA office explains. “They not only investigate allegations of Social Security fraud, but they also are called to respond to threats against Social Security offices, employees and customers.

Days after the SSA published a solicitation online for a lot of .357 Duty Carry Sig 125 grain bonded JHP hollow point bullets, the agency says there is nothing especially unusual about their request.

“[O]ur office has criminal investigators, or special agents, who are responsible for investigating violations of the laws that govern SSA’s programs,” the agency explains in the post, published on Thursday. “Currently, about 295 special agents and supervisory special agents work in 66 offices across the United States.These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests.”

Responding to the large request of 174,00 rounds, an administrator on the SSA blog writes, “this is a routine procurement that we typically make every fiscal year.”

“We have about 295 criminal investigators who must qualify with a firearm four times per year.If each investigator uses 150 rounds per qualification, then we would need 177,000 rounds per year.This number can vary based on the total number of agents, and any type of specialized training we might undertake. “

In a November 2004 bulletin circulated out of the United States Attorneys’ Office, the government states, “even the slightest error or fraud in the overall process can result in millions of dollars in overpayments or underpayments of Social Security benefits.”

The SSA, contained in a network of over 1,400 offices, is tasked with aiding the elderly, retired, disabled and others, and says on their website, “For the public, we are the ‘face of the government.’”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

How about NON-LETHAL tranquiliser darts? The state bureaus and state offices are civilian spaces, not slaughter houses. Any offending person should at least be guaranteed their life, passed out for a few hours at most, rather than being killed. Bad choice of weapon! Besides, the dead cannot be interrogated, whats the point of killing potential witnesses or leads into groups that send this sort of person? Civilisation demands at least this much! The American people for certain should concur!

ARTICLE 17

Hebrew Bible: Plagiarized Mythology and Defaced Monotheism

Posted on 21. Aug, 2012 by Dr Ashraf Ezzat in World News
Many are the stories that were told in the Hebrew Bible, but the greatest story that is yet to be told is the story of the Hebrew Bible itself.
Dr. Ashraf Ezzat

The relationship with gods/god has always been one of man’s oldest preoccupations, and still is till this very day. And while it’s fair to assume that Modern day man owes his advancement in philosophy and science to ancient Greece and its earliest thinkers, it’s equally fair, when it comes to the development of religion and the evolution of religious thinking, to give credence to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

In fact, the earliest vestiges of human faith in God, as we know it today, are to be traced back to the valley of the river Nile and between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. We’re surely to find the root of our belief in a supreme creator inscribed, in hieroglyphs and cuneiform, on the pyramids and papyri of ancient Egypt and on the clay tablets of Sumer … And not within the confines of the Hebrew Bible, as many still believe.

And if we still cherish the Greek school of wisdom and science and continue to build on the teachings of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras, I wonder why we stopped honoring the ancient gods of Egypt and Sumer and Babylon.

What has become of the mighty gods of the ancient Near East? What happened to Anu and Enlil, what has become of the beautiful Goddess “Inanna” Ishtar … The one god, Aten, and what happened to the omnipotent Amun/Amen of Thebes? … Amen, whose name is still echoing in every house of prayers of all organized religions on earth?

How come we fail to recall any of the magnificent epics of Sumer (watch video of the epic of Gilgamesh) or the amazing mythology of Egypt (watch video of the Egyptian creation myth) whereas our kids know the stories of the Hebrew Bible by heart?

But then again, if our kids are to be introduced to the myths of ancient Egypt and the epics of Sumer (watch video of the Sumerian creation myth) they won’t feel like they are in a strange land. The stories of Sumer and Egypt will sound so familiar.

“A lot of the stories in the Old Testament are in fact plagiarized material, particularly from the rich mythical heritage of the Sumerians – the inventors of writing. The story of Noah and the flood story, the creation of man out of clay, Cain and Abel, the gardens of Eden, the tree of knowledge, creation of Eve from Adams rib, and numerous other myths, like the throwing of Moses after he was born in the river, are all but stories found recorded on Sumerian clay tablets dating 5000 years back in time.”

… This has long been common knowledge amongst the scholars of history, archeology and anthropology, but I find it extremely necessary today, in the so called information age, to drag it out of the academia realm and expose it in the open before the public eyes.

Why do we remember and celebrate legendary figures like David and Solomon who had no bearing on the human history course, while we hardly recognize the enormous impact historical figures like Akhenaten or Hammurabi had on how we today come to define monotheism and the rule of law. (Watch video of Hammurabi’s code of laws, some of which are echoed in Moses’s commandments)

But then, what do we, men of modern times, know or even care? … We were only told that in the beginning was the word. But according to history … it wasn’t.

In the beginning, was the river – the Nile in Egypt and Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia. The river and the profound connection with nature gave the Egyptians and the Sumerians not only the stability and prosperity but also the craving to contemplate the creation of our cosmos and how life on earth came to be.

In other words, the river made the Egyptians and the Sumerians religious, and in a philosophical way. But does that mean that non-agricultural communities were not religious?

To answer that question, we first have to differentiate between religion and rituals. Most primitive communities, e.g., nomadic tribes like the Hebrews, had their local deities, as gods of war and fertility. On the other hand, a religion in ancient Egypt was not a religion of comfort or beneficence. It was an all-embracing doctrine, like a harmony that was observed by all the players in a big philharmonic orchestra. It was a way of life.

These Egyptian and Mesopotamian religions were Mythopoeic. Whereas our world view may be scientific or rational, so we tend to believe, these river civilizations adopted a world view based on myth.

The biggest copyright infringement in history

The stark resemblance between Biblical and Sumerian creation stories poses some serious questions

Now that we know that religion, with colossal temples and ziggurats and creation myths, first sprouted along the fertile banks of the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia and the river Nile in Egypt, how could we explain the dominance of Judaism, some tribal cult which supposedly originated (centuries later in time) amid the arid terrains of Canaan, over the Egyptian and Sumerian once thriving theologies?

Actually Judaism didn’t, surpass the influence of the Egyptian nor the Sumerian theology; this was a formidably hard task for any nomadic community to aspire for, instead Judaism did it the easy way.

As the antiquity era was approaching an end, and as the hieroglyphic and the cuneiform writings were getting extinct, the Hebrews simply stole the Egyptian and the Sumerian thunder. The Hebrew scribes, whom I presume knew what they were doing, copycatted the famous myths/epics of ancient Egypt and Sumer, in what could be the world’s first and yet the biggest copyright infringement, and stuffed their Bible with them.

The Hebrews as nomadic tribes, and later as tradesmen, were always on the move all over the Fertile Crescent that was bounded to the west by Egypt and to the east by Sumer and Babylon (Mesopotamia). Their constant journeys gave them access to the famous epics and stories/myths of the ancient Near East.

When The Hebrew scribes began to write down parts of their old testament/chronicles, which they never imagined, nor planned to be a holy Bible, it was not an overnight job, rather it was a lengthy and interrupted process that may have started around the time of the Assyrian invasion (722 BCE) of the Levant, during which all of Canaan was virtually an Egyptian province, and culminated around the time of the Hellenistic period (332-63 BCE)

Ancient Near East

While geography was the reason behind the development of the brilliant civilizations of both the Egyptians and the Sumerians, it was on the other side, and ironically enough, the main cause for the Hebrews’ misfortune.

Delivered to the savagery of the clans and Squeezed in a land barren and hostile between the ancient superpowers without any chance of military resistance or evolving further beyond the nomadic/unsettled structure, the Jews turned to metaphysics and began to fantasize.

In an atmosphere of despair and rage, especially after the Romans ruthlessly crushed what was seen as the last Hebrew disobedience (66-70 CE) the Jewish religious megalomaniac Messianic fantasies prospered.

The powerlessness of the Jews found an outlet in the myths and invented a glorious national history- something similar to what modern day Zionism did – avenging long years of ostracism and cruelty and dragging their enemy’s names through the dirt.

In the Bible, the Hebrew scribes unleashed the dagger of malevolence and took a stab at the superpowers of the ancient world, namely Egypt, Sumer and Babylon.

Through a prism of total prejudice and deeply seated grudge the Hebrew scribes wrote, page up and page down, not what really happened in ancient times, but rather what they wished had happened.

So, in their scrolls, the Hebrew scribes depicted Babel (Babylon) as the (hot bed of vice) with its tower in ruin, where in reality it stood 90 meters high, and Egypt as the land of slavery and tyranny, devastated by Yahweh’s gruesome punishments in the aftermath of which Egypt’s Pharaoh and his army drowned, where in fact, Egypt stood, for uninterrupted 3000 years, as one of the ancient world’s superpowers.

At that time, something quite weird, that only analytical psychology could explain, started taking place in the Hebrew Bible.

Everything the Israelites desperately longed for, namely a mythology with fascinating stories like that of the Sumerians, a religion with big temples like that of the Egyptians … and yes, a piece of land they could call home like everybody else, the Hebrew scribes made damn sure it was granted to them on the pages of their bible.

And in the process of making up a virtual/counterfactual history for the Israelites, the bible scribes had to simply rewrite the ancient Near Eastern history in a way that would make room for their tribal patriarchs to fit into the story.

Replacing Ziusudra with Noah, Enki with Adam, Sargon of Akkad with Moses and Aten with Yahweh, the Hebrew scribes gave the world one of its most inconsistent and confusing books ever. In a cunning way, the Hebrew scribes, as they wrote down the scripture of their Bible, had plagiarized the ancient Near Eastern wisdom and claimed it theirs.

Copying the ancient and profound Egyptian/Mesopotamian mythology by a bunch of mysterious Hebrew scribes was, from my perspective, the beginning of deterioration of the human religious thinking.
Defaced Monotheism

Unlike the Greek mythology, the ancient Near Eastern mythology was denied, by the demise of the ancient languages and the Hebrew alteration/defacement of its stories the golden opportunity of producing/fostering a European-like renaissance.

The Hebrews, appropriating what otherwise could have stayed as one of the world’s finest myths and theology, have turned it into a completely different thing.

They have molded it into a tribal thing; the universal nature of the Egyptian gods, e.g., Amun, Aten, had been twisted and refashioned to function only as the Hebrews’ own exclusive god, and hence the Hebrews as his own chosen people. And in a way this dominating concept of favoritism/nepotism has, and for the first time in the history of mankind, introduced/nurtured the idea of religious extremism.

Usurping the profound mythology of the ancient Near East by the Israelites, was like snatching the original score of Franz Schubert’s last and unfinished symphony and handing it over to some tribal drum player to finish the job. Need we ponder over the product of such undertaking? … Nothing short of a total catastrophe.

Some will argue that the echoing of the Sumerian and Egyptian myths and beliefs in the Hebrew Bible is but another example of interaction amongst the different cultures of the ancient Fertile Crescent.

“The literature created by the Sumerians left its deep impress on the Hebrews. To be sure, the Sumerians could not have influenced the Hebrews directly, for they had ceased to exist long before the Hebrew people came into existence. But there is little doubt that the Sumerians had deeply influenced the Canaanites, who preceeded the Hebrews in the land that later came to be known as Palestine” pp.143-4, “History Begins at Sumer” Samuel Noah Kramer.

Well, of course the Hebrews/Israelites were influenced by the Mesopotamian literature and the Egyptian Theology, especially that their nomadic origins denied them the luxury of frequenting the colossal temples and serving the mighty gods as those of Egypt and Babylon. But frankly, the Hebrew case was more than just another cultural interaction; it was an act of trespassing.

And even if by time, the Sumerian and Egyptian myths had probably turned into anecdotal tales of the distant past, how could we explain the reason/motive why the names of the main characters were extracted out and replaced by Hebrew counterfeits. … Evenmore, with all the previous presumptions overlooked, how could we forgive the Hebrews’ wickedness of ascribing all this wisdom to their tribal god?

As their scribes were tampering with the history and the mythology of the ancient Near East, and through their ignorance/deceit the Israelites messed up not only with the great stories of Egypt and Sumer but they also damaged the concept of universalism and pluralism that for years underlined the religious thinking of the ancient Near East.

As the Hebrew scribes were tramping over the history of the ancient Near East they rewrote/invented a mythical table of nations (sons of Noah) that, at the end, and through a long cycle of selective favoritism, came down and as expected to favoring the sons of Shem (founding myth of modern day Semitism)

And hence, the world through the tribal lens of the Israelites was only conceivable as Jews vs. Gentiles, This lingering duality complex that denied the Jews, till this very day, the ability to assimilate anywhere outside the psychological orbit of the tribe.

“Jew and Gentile are two worlds, between you Gentiles and us Jews there lies an unbridgeable gulf…There are two life forces in the world: Jewish and Gentile…I do not believe that this primal difference between Gentile and Jew is reconcilable…” – You Gentiles, page 9, by Maurice Samuel

Contrary to what many may believe the Hebrew bible did not come up with the idea of monotheism, the Egyptian king Akhenaten did that and centuries before Judaism, and as a matter of fact YHWH, the Israelites’ one god had a consort by the name ‘Asherah’

On the other hand, the Sumerian and Egyptian pantheon of gods were pyramidal/hierarchal in a way that was always leading to the concept of one and supreme god presiding over the pantheon atop the pyramid – aka Henotheism.

Sigmund Freud

In his famous book, Moses and monotheism, Sigmund Freud concluded that monotheism was not a Jewish but an Egyptian invention, descending from the cult of the Egyptian sun god Aten. Moreover, upon applying his psychoanalysis to the myths/stories of the Hebrew bible, Freud not only argued that Moses was an Egyptian priest but he was also perplexed by how the whole story of Moses/Exodus, according to the oedipal pattern of analysis, was inverted and didn’t make sense the way it had been told. In other words the Hebrew myths/stories didn’t seem original.

Had he lived longer, delved deeper into the mythology of the ancient Near East, Freud would have reached the same startling conclusion about the origin of the Hebrew bible stories, as he did monotheism.

What Judaism actually added to the world’s religious thinking is something totally different and, at the same time, inherently harmful. Through their tribal and somehow shallow collective mentality, the Hebrews had planted the root of religious dogmatism and fanaticism when they allowed for the absurd idea of God’s chosen people to flourish and permeate the religious thinking from then on.

Unfortunately that religious extremism passed on to Christianity, which was supposed to act as a counterbalance to Judaism’s tribal vulgarity, until it reached its worst case in Islam.

What good is this kind of monotheism when its adherents, be it Jews, Christians or Muslims, are soaked to the arm pits in their fundamental belief/illusion that their god is the only true god and hence they are the true sons/believers … and that the others are just deluded people who somehow got lost along the way to salvation. Dividing the world into Jews and Goyim is simply the Jewish idea of monotheism, or in other words, the Jewish defacement of monotheism which we today and most unfortunately still endure through its long term fallouts.

What kind of god, who would favor a particular son and detest/abondon his others. This was something totally new to the Ancient Near East. May be the Egyptians had their own gods, but that did not prevent them from respecting Babylonian gods like Ishtar or acknowledging their power.

Even when Alexander the great or the Greeks, known as Ptolemies, invaded Egypt, they continued to worship the ancient Egyptian gods alongside theirs. And sometimes the ancient gods of the two cultures were combined (Syncretized) in one divinity, as in the brilliant example of the syncretized god, Serapis (half Greek, half Egyptian), who stood in glory for hundreds of years at the temples of ancient Alexandria and at the gate of its splendid library until his sanctuary was desecrated by the intolerant/extremist followers of early Christianity.

(Watch the tragic destruction of the ancient library of Alexandria and the sanctuary of Serapis by a fanatic Christian mob)

The prejudiced monotheism of Judaism, based mainly on the principle of nepotism/favoritism, was such a setback and a demeaning step, for the ancient religious thinking, compared to the monotheism of Akhenaten and his god Aten. The Aten, contrary to the tribal version of Yahew, was a universal god, a sun disk that released and stretched out its rays all over the earth and blessed everybody, not just the Egyptians.

The Hebrew scribes, in a cheap bid to grant a piece of land to the Israelites, and through their deliberation/or thoughtlessness had managed to strip the literature of ancient Sumer and the mythology of Egypt of its mysticism, universalism and wisdom. Through their tampering with the rich theology of the Ancient near East, and by clumsily sticking their tribal god into its intricate and sublime design, the religious thinking and evolution has since been immersed in dogmatism, tainted with extremism and gone astray.

For more articles visit Dr. Ashraf Ezzat website

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The prejudiced monotheism of Judaism . . . resulted in Xianity of the East Europeans in 0 AD, then later Islam of the Bedouins in the 630s where the same was COPIED AGAIN from Xianity (Spirit Jibril / Angel Gabriel exactly the same) with modifications of a perhaps a slight improvement – no anthropomorphic depictions allowed but far worse in final application by authoritarian rulers who by many accounts use religion to manipulate tyranise the people, religious fundos and fundo type societies.

Like the latest pop fashion cult of personality or electronic fad, they all wanted in, but forgot their OWN Elder Gods in the process. Judaism was formed from the Egyptian Priesthood after the Bedouins overran Egypt and the Priesthood escaped through the Red Sea to found Jerusalem with Amon Ra being converted into Y.H.V.H. and Moses his prophet (this was copied by Xianity with Jesus the prophet, then later Islam with Mohammed his prophet . . . study each faith and some Comparative Religion as well as Ancient History).

Amon-Ra (Aten) was the progenitor of all Monotheisms by the lazy Heretic Pharoah Akhenaten who was too lazy to worship polytheistically.Akhenaten ‘invented’ Amon-ra which was to disintegrate into the warring factions of ‘Monotheism’ (Judaism, Islam, Xianity) today because Amon-Ra even though ‘original’, was as prejudiced as Judaism – was for Egyptians ONLY, much like Islam is for Muslims and headed by Arab Kings only.

In this Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 photo, James Davis, 73, stands over the grave of his wife, Patsy, in the front yard of the home they shared in Stevenson, Ala. The city sued to make Davis move his wife’s remains from the residential tract, and Davis is asking the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals to block an order requiring him to disinter her remains. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

In this Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 photo, James Davis holds a photo of his late wife, Patsy Davis, on the porch of their home in Stevenson, Ala. Davis buried his wife in their front yard, and the city filed suit to force him to remove the remains. Davis is fighting a court order requiring him to disinter the body. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

STEVENSON, Ala. (AP) — James Davis is fighting to keep the remains of his late wife right where he dug her grave: In the front yard of his home, just a few feet from the porch.

Davis said he was only abiding by Patsy Ruth Davis’ wishes when he buried her outside their log home in 2009, yet the city sued to move the body elsewhere. A county judge ordered Davis to disinter his wife, but the ruling is on hold as the Alabama Civil Court of Appeals considers his challenge.

Davis, 73, said he never expected such a fight.

“Good Lord, they’ve raised pigs in their yard, there’s horses out the road here in a corral in the city limits, they’ve got other gravesites here all over the place,” said Davis. “And there shouldn’t have been a problem.”

While state health officials say family burial plots aren’t uncommon in Alabama, city officials worry about the precedent set by allowing a grave on a residential lot on one of the main streets through town. They say state law gives the city some control over where people bury their loved ones and have cited concerns about long-term care, appearance, property values and the complaints of some neighbors.

“We’re not in the 1800s any longer,” said city attorney Parker Edmiston. “We’re not talking about a homestead, we’re not talking about someone who is out in the country on 40 acres of land. Mr. Davis lives in downtown Stevenson.”

A strong libertarian streak runs through northeast Alabama, which has relatively few zoning laws to govern what people do with their property. Even a neighbor who got into a fight with Davis over the gravesite — Davis said he punched the man — isn’t comfortable with limiting what a homeowner can do with his property.

“I don’t think it’s right, but it’s not my place to tell him he can’t do it,” said George W. Westmoreland, 79, who served three tours of duty in Vietnam. “I laid my life on the line so he would have the right to do this. This is what freedom is about.”

Westmoreland declined to discuss his specific objections to the grave.

It’s unclear when the appeals court might rule. Attorneys filed initial papers in the appeal on Friday. The decision could come down to whether the judges believe the front-yard grave constitutes a family plot that requires no approval or a cemetery, which would.

In the meantime, Davis has protested by running for City Council. A campaign sign hangs near a bigger sign in his yard that says: “Let Patsy Rest in Peace.”

A law professor who is familiar with the case said it’s squarely at the intersection of personal rights and government’s power to regulate private property. While disputes over graves in peoples’ yards might be rare, lawsuits over the use of eminent domain actions and zoning restrictions are becoming more common as the U.S. population grows, said Joseph Snoe, who teaches property law at Samford University in suburban Birmingham.

“The United States Supreme Court has said that the states, and the cities through the states, have the power to regulate. But if it goes too far … then the government’s got to pay, and there are certain things the government just doesn’t have the power to do,” he said. “As we get bigger and as government gets bigger and as people are more regulated … you start having more and more disagreements.”

Davis, a longtime carpenter, built the family’s home on a corner on Broad Street about 30 years ago in Stevenson, a town of about 2,600 in northeast Alabama. Once a bustling railroad stop, the city is now so quiet some people don’t bother locking their doors. Stars twinkle brightly in the night sky; there aren’t many lights to blot them out.

Davis first met Patsy when she was a little girl. They were married for 48 years, but she spent most of her final days bedridden with crippling arthritis. Seated on a bench beside her marble headstone and flower-covered grave, Davis said he and his wife planned to have their bodies cremated until she revealed she was terrified by the thought.

“She said this is where she wanted to be and could she be put here, and I told her, ‘Yeah,'” Davis said. “I didn’t think there’d be any problem.”

There was, though. A big one.

After his wife died on April 18, 2009, the City Council rejected Davis’ request for a cemetery permit. The decision came even though the county health department signed off on the residential burial, saying it wouldn’t cause any sanitation problems.

Ignoring the council’s decision, Davis said he and a son-in-law cranked a backhoe and dug a grave just a few feet from the house. A mortuary installed a concrete vault, and workers lowered Patsy’s body into the plot in a nice, metal casket.

The city sued, and the case went to trial early this year. That’s when a judge ordered Davis to move his wife’s remains to a licensed cemetery. That order is on hold to give the state appeals court time to rule.

For now, Davis visits his wife’s grave each time he walks out the front door. He puts fresh artificial flowers on it regularly, and he washes off the marker when raindrops splatter dirt on the gray stone. At Christmas, he said, he and other relatives hold a little prayer vigil around the grave, which is beside an old wooden garage.

Edmiston said the man rejected several compromises from the city, including the offer of two plots in the municipal graveyard.

While state officials say they don’t know how many people might be buried on residential lots in Alabama, burials on private property in Alabama are not uncommon, said Sherry Bradley, deputy environmental director for the state Department of Public Health.

While the state can regulate cemeteries, Bradley said it doesn’t have any control over family burial plots. The city contends the grave at Davis’ home is an illegal cemetery that falls under government oversight, said Edmiston, the city lawyer.

If nothing else, Edmiston said, the appeals court might decide what constitutes a “family burial plot” in Alabama, and what’s a cemetery.

“It would be far-reaching if they say anyone can bury someone in their front yard if there are no drainage issues,” he said.

As it is, Davis said his five children will bury him in the yard beside Patsy after he dies, and they and his 15 grandchildren will care for the property from then on.

“That’s my perpetual care,” said Davis, referring to the city’s worry about what the grave will look like after he dies.

Davis is adamant that he won’t move the body, regardless of what any court says.

“If they get it done it’ll be after I’m gone,” said Davis. “So if they order her to be moved, it’s a death sentence to me. I’ll meet Mama sooner than I planned on it.”

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Man’s home or land is their castle. End of issue. This is ‘sovereign’ territory, and James Davis is well within rights to do whatever. Sometimes this is also due to the distance to the nearest cemetary, the sheer amount of paperwork for funerals and cemetaries, or the sheer cost of buying plots at cemetaries, or simple wishes of the deceased before dying or from belief that ‘high density resting places are as bad as high density living’ . ‘Fresh artificial’ flowers?!? Oxymoron MSM propaganda article? These days hard to tell what news portals are trying to do . . .

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff deputies examine a car with bullet holes at a crime scene where two sheriffs were killed and two wounded in LaPlace, La., Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(AP) NEW ORLEANS – At least some of the seven people arrested in a fatal shootout with Louisiana deputies have been linked to violent anarchists on the FBI’s domestic terrorism watch lists, a sheriff said Saturday.

Detectives had been monitoring the group before Thursday’s shootout in Laplace in which two deputies were killed and two more wounded, said DeSoto Parish Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle. His detectives and other law enforcement discovered the suspects were heavily armed adherents to an ideology known as the “sovereign citizens” movement.

The FBI has classified “sovereign citizens” as people who believe they are free from all duties of a U.S. citizen, like paying taxes. The FBI considers the group’s members a danger for making threats to judges and law enforcement, using fake currency and impersonating police officers.

The seven suspects have been charged in the shooting of Deputy Michael Scott Boyington, who survived. But authorities have said murder charges are pending.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the killings but declined to comment Saturday and referred questions to the Louisiana State Police, the lead investigating agency.

Arrested were the group’s apparent leader, 44-year-old Terry Smith, his wife, Chanel Skains, 37, and his two sons, Derrick Smith, 22, and Brian Lyn Smith, 24. Also arrested were Brittney Keith, the girlfriend of Brian Smith; Kyle David Joekel, 28, and a woman living with him, 21-year-old Teniecha Bright.

Brian Smith was charged with attempted first-degree murder and the others with related charges.

Detectives in Tennessee, Nebraska and Louisiana have sketched a portrait of an outlaw gang led by a 44-year-old accused molester named Terry Smith, who has a criminal record dating to 1984 in Morehouse Parish, the Times-Picayune reported Saturday.

Morehouse Parish Sheriff Mike Stubbs said the Smith family was notorious. He said they lived for a long time in a house on the outskirts of Bastrop.

“We had a good bit of dealings with them,” he said. He said the Smith brothers had been involved in theft and drugs.

Arbuckle, reached by telephone by The Associated Press, said his deputies had the group under surveillance and considered them armed and dangerous before they suddenly left his parish about two months ago. He said they had set up camp at a mobile home park while they working at an International Paper plant.

The sheriff said deputies became suspicious after they investigated a reported burglary in May at the park’s laundry. The detectives discovered members wanted under warrants issued in Tennessee, Nebraska and Louisiana.

“Once we had them on our radar we started doing research on them,” he said. Arbuckle said his detectives monitored the group until they left in November.

Sovereign citizens are a loosely organized movement founded in the 1970s and more fully developed in the 1980s, according to the Anti-Defamation League website.

Sovereign citizens believe that all levels of government have no jurisdiction over them and resist — sometimes with violence — authority including police, the website said.

They also like to use what is dubbed “paper terrorism.” It involves using frivolous lawsuits and fake documents and of using genuine documents such as IRS forms to intimidate, harass and coerce public officials, law enforcement officers and private citizens. Arbuckle said his detectives could easily have been the victims instead of the St. John the Baptist Parish deputies killed and wounded. Deputies Brandon Nielsen and Jeremy Triche were killed and along with Boyington, Jason Triche was wounded. The Triches were somehow related, authorities said.

“We understand they had some pretty good firepower,” Arbuckle said. “This very well could have been us” in the gunfight, he said.

He said the group traveled the country in trailers doing construction work and possessed a stockpile of weapons.

They were arrested after an early morning assault on Boyington led to the deadly shootout in the mobile home park in Laplace, a suburb west of New Orleans. Boyington was shot at the entrance of a parking lot used by contract workers on a job at a nearby oil refinery. He was working off-duty on a security detail at the lot.

Shortly thereafter, the other deputies were shot at the trailer park where a car involved in the first shooting was spotted.

Joekel and Brian Smith were hospitalized with gunshot wounds and will be jailed once they are out of the hospital. The others were jailed with bonds ranging from $350,000 to $750,000. The Gage County, Neb., Sheriff’s Office website listed Joekel among its most wanted fugitives, saying he is accused of making “terroristic threats” to patrons of a Nebraska bar and law enforcement officials. Sgt. Len Marie, a state police spokesman, said investigators were amassing evidence. He said the agency had received the reports from the DeSoto sheriff and other law enforcement agencies in other states. He said the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was involved.

He said it was too early to verify links to the extremist groups associated with the sovereign citizen movement.

Actually if enough Congressmen and Governors decide that taxes do not exist, taxes will not exist. One does not have to be a ‘sovereign citizen’ to not want to pay taxes, though those with extreme amounts of surplus should at least support local infrastructure, enforcement or military. Theft and other crimes in the pursuit of abolishment of taxes though are wrong. Good work on not outright killing these people (we keep hearing about homeless or defenseless people killed by overwhelming numbers of police) and arresting them for a trial.

Hope the citizens were not roughed up or anything. Some ‘police’ though are false police, and dress up in uniforms or even have fitted cars to look like police cars. The sovereign citizens could use this ‘fake cops problem’ as an ‘excuse’ for opening fire or ‘defending themselves’ . . . though any incidental injuries or killings if traced would have this Anti-Defamation or ‘self defending’ lot in the grey area.

GOOD JOB Guan Eng & team: The Pearl of the Orient’s charm is back! – Thursday, 26 July 2012 09:41

One would need courage and humility to recognize the transformation taking place over these past several years in Penang since 2008. Indeed, a visit to Penang is the best way to learn, witness and partake in the beauty that is becoming of the once raped island.

Notice the ample thought given in creating bicycle lanes. Note too how motorists keep to the law even when out of sight of the law keepers.

Notice how the ferry is kept refreshingly clean. And sense the improved work attitudes of its employees – including clean uniforms and engaging charm.

Notice that the rotting stench of uncollected garbage and choking debris along the island’s shores have all gone missing. Improved too is the absence of stench from covered drains. And see how the shops and stall operators appear cleaner and more ‘schooled’ in mannerisms and hygiene.

Most noticeable is the re-appearance of retired senior citizens back on the circuit of being gainfully employed. From hotels to restaurants, you notice more grey hairs and weather beaten brows easily warming you with caring aged eyes and toothless grins.

Noticeable too is the almost near absence of imported legal (together with Malaysia’s paradoxical illegal labour) workers. It appears that now every Penangite has equal opportunity to work.

Chocking, honking traffic has almost vanished. In place, you sense that people are more in less a hurry.

Trishaw riders are miraculously back with a vibrancy in their characteristic all yellow trappings. And what a joy to see these peddlers have nice park benches to rest, chat and even play a round of checkers in between trips.

What seemed impossible not so long ago and for a long time but now so naturally possible is also significant. There is ample space created for taxis to park in an orderly un-obstructive manner while waiting to get customers.

More cheerful Penangites

No wonder the people of Penang now seem more cheerful as they go about their business of the day. Listening to their relaxed and open conversation makes you wonder too ‘how come’? Where did they get this sudden courage to speak their mind so candidly and without fear or cover?

The taxi drivers are making a joke of the hand-out for tyres, saying, “bagi tangan kanan, ambil balik tangan kiri biasa loh.” And the retirees back on the job market are saying, “sekarang senang mah, boleh cari makan loh.”

Food prices are far more cheaper than Kuala Lumpur – never mind the fact that Penang is only four hours driving distance. You can have a decent nasi kandar of choice for below ten ringgit. And serving you is no ‘pendatang haram’ but family and kin of Malaysian citizenry.

It appears that it does makes economic sense to do away with import labour and give citizens a chance to make a living.

Syabas Penangites. And a feather for your able island’s leadership.

Indeed the Pearl of the Orient is back and the people have proven that when you give back to society what rightly belongs to humanity, people take personal responsibility more seriously and they need little prodding with slogans and reprimands through long preaching down.

But you will need courage and humility to witness and acknowledge the glow that is being put back on that island beauty Penang.

Mailbag

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Gratuituous praise as usual eh? Penang is not the Pearl of the Orient. Hong Kong is. The pearl held by the lion in the crest of the Hong Kong insignia personifies the romanticised (though west inspired) phrase “Pearl of the Orient” referring to Hong Kong – NOT Penang, which has a palm tree signifying a plantation which is now a bleak and spiritually unhappy (mentally or superficially most in Penang are quite happy, abit deeper and just horror . . . ) expense of urban landscape no different from any other on the planet, except for the pretentious, narrow minded and parasitic insanity of some (not too many but quite numerous, so careful you visitors, NWO alert if anything . . . ) the residents.

Also the local DAP politicians are so dirty and vicious and accepting of second class citizenships that they will poison activists with the psychiatric establishment because their politics differ and ask for funeral funds before their deaths. Penang features far too much (there are some normal people but even these get swept up in whatever b.s. herd mentality style . . . ) of a charmless waste bin of fundos posing as good citizens parasiting off the poorer or ‘less well thought’ (some of the rich are nigh unthinking and can be quite insane when infected by religion or cults of personality in politics, infecting the poor and the greedy in turn) lot who have suffered so much (or inflicted so much harm) that they are no civilised people/no longer people beyond a veneer or brittle smiles or superficial politics.

Too few ‘pearls of people’ here in Penang either! Now if Sipadan tried, MAYBE because there are at least REAL PEARL farms there, but Sipadan is 30 years behind Penang, even as Penang is 30 years behind Hong Kong . . . Penang is too often (read the news and apply some logic to see what I mean) a cursed place peopled by political deadwood and the damned fundos backed by poisoners of a psychiatric establishment that have so far been hiding behind a complicit legal system from punishment for abusing people active in politics and activism, minority-fringe group issue advocacy (Minority of 1 is NOT insanity, in fact virtually nothing is insanity . . . ), outside the ‘allowed groups’ . . .

Meaning, Penang is a Fascist dictatorship of an oligarchic/plutocratic elite, NOT a real democracy where anyone can speak freely and participate . . . is the UN paying attention and identifying which ‘stupidos’ are insane as opposed to the non-establishment contrarians being labelled and sabotaged, now without privacy thanks to neurotech abuse sanctioned by the psy-establishment? Some fundos, politicians and psyche-personnel need to be put in prison and stripped of their social and professional status to exhonerate those they have abused and subverted, families they destroyed . . .

What if His Majesty the Agong wants to see a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties that spells out very clearly and specifically the terms of the ‘Unity Government’ that DAP, PKR and PAS are going to form? And what if DAP insists that one of the terms of the MoU must be that Malaysia retains its Secular State status while PAS insists that the implementation of Hudud be one of the terms of the MoU? And because of this conflict, DAP, PKR and PAS end up in a deadlock and cannot sign the MoU and hence the Agong swears in the new Barisan Nasional government.

I said the lesser of the evils, not the lesser of the two evils. That is because in some cases there may be more than just two evils. And I am writing this article in response to the posting by Haris Ibrahim titled Manchester’s Plan B, stands and directions? Will RPK make sense of these for us?

In that posting, today, Haris gave me 48 hours to respond. This was what he said in the concluding paragraphs of his posting:

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I must confess that Plan B leaves me very troubled with the stand and the direction of RPK. Only RPK can lay those concerns to rest. Will the master strategist share his master strategy relating to Plan B, or so much of it as he can, with us? I will wait 48 hours to hear from him.”

Now, if you remember what I had said in the past, politics is always about compromises and choosing the lesser of the evils (or two evils). And that is why, as I had also said, I did not agree with Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s concept of ‘Politik Baru’ or ‘New Politics’.

I also wrote about how Dr Chandra ‘lectured’ me and was quite exasperated when I said ‘Politik Baru’ is an oxymoron. Politics is the oldest profession in the world (or second oldest if you regard prostitution as the oldest). Hence how can you have ‘New Politics’ when politics itself is the oldest game in town?

I was, of course, being cheeky. I knew what Dr Chandra meant. When he said ‘Politik Baru’ he meant we should indulge in clean politics and not in dirty politics. But can you really expect politics to be clean when the only way to win in the political game is to ‘play dirty’, as Malaysians would say?

And that is where the oxymoron comes in. To win you need to play a dirty game. If you play a clean game you would get whacked good and proper.

I used the analogy of a street fight. When someone walks up to you in a bar and punches you, do you put up your fists and defend yourself using Queensbury Rules? Queensbury Rules would work in a boxing ring with referees to monitor the boxing match. But in a bar where your opponent is not only drunk but also much bigger than you, you need to grab a bottle and whack him over the head with it. You floor the bugger then get the hell out of there in double-quick time.

Is this fair? Who cares? Your objective is not to get whacked, or worse, get killed. So you grab whatever you can and finish the guy off. Fair does not apply in such a situation when limb and life are in jeopardy.

Hence, in politics, if your opponent is not playing fair why should you? If you want to win against a dirty opponent you need to be even dirtier than your opponent. And if you do not have the stomach for such a dirty game then do not become a politician because politics is dirty. It is as simple as that.

Dr Chandra was trying to change the rules of the game. But the other side will not play by your rules. They will set their own rules. And the rule is there are no rules. Hence it should be the law of the jungle. And the law of the jungle is about survival of the fittest. The weak die. You either move to the top of the food chain or else you will become food for those stronger than you.

And that is what politics is all about.

For more than a year I have been raising all sorts of issues involving Pakatan Rakyat. I have pointed out the weaknesses in Pakatan Rakyat. I have pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat is no longer honouring the letter and the spirit of The Poeples’ Declaration although they had endorsed it in the run-up to the last general election.

I also pointed out that we are perturbed by the quality of the candidates. We do not trust some of the people in Pakatan Rakyat and feel that they are for sale. In fact, some have even proven us correct by defecting to the other side.

In our meeting with Anwar Ibrahim in London, we warned him that in the last general election most people were happy to just vote for anyone who was not Umno or Barisan Nasional. However, we have found some of these candidates a huge disappointment. The next time around, we warned Anwar, the voters are going to look at the candidates closely and will vote based on candidates, no longer based on party lines.

Anwar said that he agreed with our observation and that they have taken note of this point and plan to address it when they choose the candidates for the next general election. Anwar also explained that Pakatan Rakyat was having problems attracting candidates to contest on the Pakatan Rakyat ticket.

We were actually quite aware of this. And the problem existed even back in 1999 when Pakatan Rakyat did not exist yet and the opposition coalition then was called Barisan Alternatif. We also personally know some of those people who had been approached. But they declined the offer to contest the election even when they were told they need not join the party but could contest as ‘independent’ candidates. However, they would need to contest on the party ticket even if they did not sign up as party members.

We told Anwar that if this was the only problem they faced then we would be very happy to assist the opposition in sourcing for candidates. Following that, the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) was launched and one of the first tasks of many that we embarked upon was to look for candidates to contest the general election.

We were very surprised, however, when we were told that Pakatan Rakyat would not accept our candidates. We were even more surprised when they started saying that our purpose in looking for candidates was to trigger three-corner contests in an effort to ‘pecah undi’ (split the votes) and help Barisan Nasional win the election.

After a year of trying to explain that this was not our ‘hidden agenda’ and that what we were doing was merely in response to what Pakatan Rakyat said — their problem in finding candidates — I decided to abort the exercise.

To make matters worse, we could not meet our target of 30 candidates because of the negative publicity about what we were trying to do. When we met with resistance, we stopped at seven candidates. We thought it was futile to push for 30 when there is so much bad publicity about our effort.

Eventually, the candidates dropped out one-by-one until we were left with just one candidate. And even that solitary candidate was going to be a problem because he wanted to contest in Kapar, Kelang, and that seat was ‘owned’ by PKR and PKR’s man in Kapar, Mike, was not going to give up his seat.

Hence Kapar would have to be a three-corner contest. And if the MCLM candidate contests Kapar in a three-corner fight this will only prove our critics right, that we are splitting the votes to help Barisan Nasional win the seat.

So, as I said, after more than a year of trying unsuccessfully to explain what we were doing and still not making any headway, I announced on 1st January this year that we are abandoning the independent candidate initiative. Actually, what I said was in response to a question by the chap interviewing me.

Jalil Hamid of NST asked me about MCLM and about MCLM’s plan to contest the general election. I corrected him by saying that MCLM never planned to contest the general election. That was not our intention at all. What we were trying to do was to help Pakatan Rakyat look for candidates. However, since this effort is not welcomed, we are dropping the whole idea.

Haris was most unhappy about this and he accused me of making a unilateral decision and said that this had never been discussed. Haris then resigned from MLCM while the others who were supposed to have been the candidates announced that they were distancing themselves from me. It appears my announcement that the independent candidate initiative is now off was not received well at all.

My contention was that if Pakatan Rakyat wanted our support then more effort needed to be put into fielding better candidates. And we told Anwar so, which he did not dispute. However, if what we were trying to do is going to be met with such a negative response then we might as well just abandon the whole exercise.

However, Pakatan Rakyat cannot expect our support if they field substandard candidates. Then everyone screams and tells me that it must be anything but Umno (ABU) and nothing else. Even when I pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat is not perfect, they scream, “Never mind. Pakatan Rakyat may not be perfect. There may be many weaknesses and even some corruption in Pakatan Rakyat. However, compared to Umno and Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat is the lesser of the two evils.”

So there you have it. We are supporting Pakatan Rakkyat not because they are perfect. We know they are not perfect. But compared to Umno and Barisan Nasional they are the lesser of the two evils. And that would be the principle behind why we should support Pakatan Rakyat. It is a very clear stand we take. Our stand is to support Pakatan Rakyat on the principle that it is the lesser of the two evils.

Okay, if that is what the majority wants then I can live with that. Unfortunately, in a democracy, it is what the majority wants that counts. Whether what the majority wants is right or wrong is not crucial. If the majority in Germany during WWII wanted the Jews exterminated then the Jews will get exterminated. Is this the right thing to do? Maybe not but majority rule is not about what is right. That is the downside of democracy, as history has time and again proven.

Okay, I was opposed to the ends justifying the means, and I said so many times. I was opposed to the concept of choosing the lesser of the two evils, and I said so many times. The end justifying the means is a dangerous concept.

The Americans tried to assassinate Fidel Castro to solve their problem with Cuba. Assassination of a foreign leader is wrong but then the end justifies the means. They were looking at the lesser of the two evils. Assassinating a foreign leader is an evil thing to do. However, allowing Castro to rule Cuba is a bigger evil. Hence assassinating him is the lesser of the two evils.

And that is why I was opposed to the concept of the end justifying the means and the lesser of the two evils. Where do we stop? How far do we go? What becomes halal (allowed) and what becomes haram (forbidden)? Under the concept of the end justifying the means and the lesser of the two evils there is no haram. Everything is halal. So see how dangerous it can become?

While we in the opposition propagate the concept of the end justifying the means and the lesser of the two evils, Umno and Barisan Nasional too play that same game. And they are in power so they can play the game more effectively and more successfully than us.

Okay, what stand do Umno and Barisan Nasional take? Their stand is very simple. They do not want to lose power. So they need to retain power by defeating Pakatan Rakyat in any way possible, fair or foul means never mind.

Umno works on one very basic principle. And that principle is the Chinese control the corporate sector. Hence the Malays must control the political arena. The Chinese cannot dominate both the corporate world as well as politics. The Malays must dominate politics at all costs. And no cost is too great to pay.

What if Umno is going to lose political power? What if the majority of the voters vote against Barisan Nasional? Umno will have to make sure that this does not happen. They cannot allow a level playing field and face the risk of losing power. Hence all manner of gerrymandering must be applied plus the electoral roll will have to be padded with ‘BN-friendly’ voters.

What if after doing all this they still lose the election? Say, in spite of all the manipulation, Barisan Nasional still gets ousted. Are they prepared to quietly walk away and concede defeat? Or will they embark upon a post-election ‘exercise’ ultra virus to the Constitution to prevent Pakatan Rakyat from walking into Putrajaya?

Barisan Nasional has lost the election. But they refuse to give up power. They are retaining power through unconstitutional means. And that is evil. So what do we do? Do we just keep quiet or do we also play that same evil game?

No doubt what we need to do will also be evil. But it is going to be the lesser of the two evils. And the lesser of the two evils would be to launch a civil war against an unconstitutional government that refuses to concede defeat in the general election.

Take note, though, many lives will be lost. And that, of course, is an evil thing to happen. But is the loss of thousands of lives a lesser evil than the loss of the government? Or will it be the other way around? Will the loss of the government be the lesser evil? Would you consider lives as very precious and that the loss of thousands of lives can never justify the quest for power?

Another possible scenario would be that Pakatan Rakyat wins the next general election and there is a smooth and peaceful transfer of power. We cannot rule out that possibility as well. Then that would make this entire discussion purely academic.

Yet another possibility would be that Barisan Nasional wins the general election but with such a slim majority that it is almost a hung Parliament plus they lose almost half the 13 state governments, like what happened once upon a time. Then this triggers a power struggle in Umno, like what happened once upon a time. The group that wants to oust the group in power is more radical and believes in a hard-line action against the opposition to totally wipe out the opposition once and for all.

Now, we want to see the emergence of a two-party system in Malaysia. And two party-system means two parties equally-balanced where one can check the other. However, if the radical group succeeds in grabbing power then this aspiration of a two-party system would be buried. Thus, we need the liberals and not the radicals to hold power in Putrajaya.

If the radicals take over then there would no longer be any credible opposition come the general election, say, in 2018. However, if the liberals rule then the opposition still has one more shot in 2018, or whenever.

Okay, this is based on the scenario that Pakatan Rakyat fails to win the coming general election and Barisan Nasional is weakened further from the 2008 general election. If Pakatan Rakyat does worse than it did in 2008 then the problem ends. If Pakatan Rakyat wins the general election then we may have a problem but a different kind of problem. And if Pakatan Rakyat does better than it did in 2008 but Barisan Nasional still wins then it would be yet another kind of problem.

So there are three possible outcomes and three possible problems attached to these outcomes. Hence, based on the lesser of the evils, as what you all want, we have to figure out our course of action. Each course of action has some evil attached. The question would be: which would you regard as the lesser of that evil?

You may think that the above is mere speculation and not based on anything tangible. Okay, let me put it another way. Say Barisan Nasional wins 110 Parliament seats in total. The balance 112 Parliament seats are shared between PKR, DAP and PAS. Say DAP wins 40 seats, PKR 37 seats and PAS 35 seats. Who will get to form the government?

Barisan Nasional, a legally registered party, has the most number of seats, 110, compared to DAP, PKR and PAS who all won less than 110 seats each. You may argue that DAP, PKR and PAS can always combine their seats, which means the total would be 112 and hence more than Barisan Nasional’s 110.

Are you sure? What if they can’t? What if His Majesty the Agong wants to see a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties that spells out very clearly and specifically the terms of the ‘Unity Government’ that DAP, PKR and PAS are going to form? And what if DAP insists that one of the terms of the MoU must be that Malaysia retains its Secular State status while PAS insists that the implementation of Hudud be one of the terms of the MoU? And because of this conflict, DAP, PKR and PAS end up in a deadlock and cannot sign the MoU and hence the Agong swears in the new Barisan Nasional government.

Yes, yet a fourth possible scenario. And in politics anything is possible. In fact, the more impossible it may appear the more possible that it may happen. So, in this case, which would you regard as the lesser of the two evils? I don’t know so you tell me. Migrate? Take up arms and start a civil war? Curse PAS and DAP for not coming to an agreement on the matter of Hudud? Curse Anwar for not resolving this matter before the general election? What? You tell me!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This article is most ingenuous and insulting to the Rakyat’s intelligence!

a) What if His Majesty the Agong wants to see a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties that spells out very clearly and specifically the terms of the ‘Unity Government’ that DAP, PKR and PAS are going to form?

No such requirement in UN or foreign nation recognition – the Agong can denounce a MOU refusing political party yet that party can still be recognized worldwide. Only a majority of MPs matters even if no MOU’s exist. This is ‘Absolute Monarchy’ talk. Are you mad RPK? Bodeking back into favour?

b) And what if DAP insists that one of the terms of the MoU must be that Malaysia retains its Secular State status while PAS insists that the implementation of Hudud be one of the terms of the MoU?

The UN insists that ALL countries of the world are secular to a point. Or do we need NATO peacekeepers to remind? Hudud as mentioned can be implemented in majority assenting districts in Malaysia, ridiculous to suggest Hudud in ALL of Malaysia ESPECIALLY in majority non-Malay districts and even in non-assenting majority Malay districts which have Malay majorities that do not want Hudud which by all common sense considerations leaves only Terengganu and Kelantan as possible consideration for Hudud (even Kelantan and Terengganu might have significant though not necessarily majority numbers of districts that do not want Hudud which by UN standards may not be enforced upon those populaces either.).

c) And because of this conflict, DAP, PKR and PAS end up in a deadlock and cannot sign the MoU and hence the Agong swears in the new Barisan Nasional government.

RPK must be senile here saying ‘And hence the Agong swears the new Barisan Nasional government (minority) voted government.‘

If BN is a minority, BN cannot be sworn in by the Agong – the UN or any responsible foreign government would never recognize the new MINORITY government! Because internationally only the majority coalition is recognized! More Absolute Monarchy from RPK. RPK, you really disappointed in this article and treat the Rakyat and readers like simpletons. RPK may be well informed but RPK can’t think straight for sh1t these days or presumes that everyone else can’t. Just look at the quality of articles RPK has been dishing out these days. Tsk tsk tsk . . . RPK should return to Malaysia and stand against Anwar in Penang, that perhaps RPK can do, something useful like give an alternative to Anwar – I think RPK is no more fundo and potentially more open minded than Anwar though no word yet on that backtrack LGBT yet . . . RPK shouldn’t don’t bother throwing strawmen scenarios and absolute monarchy at the Rakyat from jolly England and do something useful for GE13.

d) Curse PAS and DAP for not coming to an agreement on the matter of Hudud? Curse Anwar for not resolving this matter before the general election?

No. The Rakyat just won’t vote for them. The best curse is to not vote for any MP. In either case 2 terms only!

“While this might be a good vote-getting strategy in some parts of Malaysia, his claim shamefully runs completely contrary to the central principle of non-discrimination in international human rights law,” was Robertson’s rants against Anwar, picked up in a statement the HRW issued last week.

Azmi Anshar, NST

DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been busted again, playing both sides of the coin when he should have picked one and be done with it. But then, it’s an Anwar speciality over the years he’s been grating the public consciousness.

This time though, his duality — this split personality meandering on human rights issues — is his own doing, one that invited a stricture that, surprisingly, didn’t bore from a Federal Government leader, backer or blogger.

It was unloaded by Human Rights Watch’s (Asia division) Phil Robertson, an ally fuming at Anwar’s doublespeak uttered during his revealing testimony in his lawsuit against Utusan Malaysia last week.

Responding to defence counsel’s questions, Anwar the plaintiff explicitly agreed that homosexuals should be discriminated to protect the sanctity of marriage. Full stop? Not quite. It was not the point that Anwar wanted to make as he insisted that “archaic” laws should be reviewed to prevent punishment of the innocent.

Defence lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein’s question could not have been clearer: “Should we discriminate against homosexuals?” Firoz asked. “Yes” was Anwar’s emphatic reply.

Anwar went on: “We don’t give space to homosexuals and uphold the sanctity of marriage…the law must be crafted in a way we must believe the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman…we do not promote homosexuality.”

Anwar had a partisan reflection when he articulated why Malaysia’s anti-homosexual laws were “archaic”, illustrating something that seemed “personal” when he intoned, “legislation to punish innocent people should not be condoned or tolerated”.

When pressed to elaborate on why he considered existing laws against unnatural sex under Section 377 of the Penal Code to be “archaic”, Anwar was more direct: “…because it is hardly used and only used for political reasons”.

That’s Anwar speciality, that ability to tie you up in literary knots even under oath. For the general populace, he wants homosexuals discriminated — banned, barred, isolated or alienated — yet he wants “archaic” laws governing the counter-culture to be reformed. Which is it?

Robertson wasn’t having any of Anwar’s nonsensical flip-flops, directly denouncing his anti-gay position as “shameful”, “fundamentally wrong” while accusing him of playing politics with civil liberties.

“While this might be a good vote-getting strategy in some parts of Malaysia, his claim shamefully runs completely contrary to the central principle of non-discrimination in international human rights law,” was Robertson’s rants against Anwar, picked up in a statement the HRW issued last week.

Bang goes Anwar’s carefully manufactured reputation as an international human rights advocate. The malarkey of his global pulpit, centred upon caressing his image in the likes of civil rights battlers Aung San Suu Kyi, is exposed as untenable when it comes to defending political self-preservation, especially his vested interest with Islamic allies Pas and a host of like-minded religious jurors.

To be sure, Robertson would just have imposed a similar judgment against the Federal Government, but there are diametric differences: whereas Anwar speaks with a forked tongue, the Barisan Nasional has consistently insisted that gays have no role to play in the mainstream.

To be plain, Anwar is a hypocrite (by Robertson’s angry diatribe) and a liar (by the rants of disappointed supporters) as he speaks for the downtrodden before international audiences, but deserts them at home. On the other hand, the Federal Government opposes — as representative of the moral/religious majority and a matter of national law/policy — the LGBT (Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transgender) movement propelled by Bersih leader Datuk S. Ambiga.

Going by the consistency of his ironies and deceptions, Anwar wants to be a man of all seasons for everybody and if he trips on his convoluted political rhetoric, that’s fine because in his mind, enough people have the required gullibility to believe in his “heartfelt” empathy.

Until someone like Robertson comes along to fiercely prick Anwar’s hydrogen-inflated and moveable balloon.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Less LGBT hate by allowing a pro-LGBT article is NOT an apology or backtrack on some of RPK’s less LGBT neural articles.

ARTICLE 4

Stop playing race game – FROM AROUND THE BLOGS – Wednesday, 25 July 2012 Super Admin – AZMI SHAROM

The country has changed so much since 1969 that to keep using the argument that we are on the verge of race war is rather obsolete.

I WAS wondering when it was going to happen; when certain quarters were going to dust off that old chestnut of May 13, 1969, and use it as a political tool.

It all seems terribly coincidental that as the general election draws nearer, suddenly race riots get inserted into political speech, and a movie about May 13 is apparently waiting to be released.

The country has changed so much since 1969 that to keep using the argument that we are on the verge of race war is rather obsolete.

Let’s look at some facts. Firstly, the vast majority of the Malaysian population were not even born in 1969.

This means that first-hand knowledge of that terrible time is simply not part of most of us. Without that emotional connection, I believe that younger Malaysians are willing to question the feasibility of such a thing happening again.

And really, could it? In 1969, the politics of the nation was so very clearly divided along racial lines. The Opposition was not united as it is today. PAS won 12 seats, DAP 13 and Gerakan 8.

They were not part of a coalition and each stood on its own, therefore it was possible to play the race game because, in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in particular, the Opposition had the face of “the other”.

Today, with the Pakatan coalition in existence, the Opposition is a much more complex animal. If the Opposition wins, how can the race card be played when two of the component parties are so predominantly Malay?

Let’s take a look at recent events that has got some powerful people’s knickers in a twist.

In particular the Bersih demonstrations of 2007, 2011 and 2012. The demographics of these events were multi-ethnic and became even more multi-ethnic with each progressive one.

By the time of this year’s Bersih demonstration, the make-up of the people who took part was much closer to the make-up of the country as a whole. However, the predominant ethnic group was still Malay.

This goes to show that the political divide, not of political parties but of ordinary citizens, can no longer be conveniently divided along ethnic lines.

Significant numbers of Malaysians, regardless of their background, can be united when they have a common political goal, in this case clean and fair elections.

Furthermore, ethnic Malays can be vocally unhappy with the status quo. In the present-day scenario, it is ridiculous to say that the politics in Malaysia is simply a matter of Malays versus Non-Malays.

And let us look at the 2008 elections. The results were unprecedented and surprised most people. I remember that night very well, as the results became clear that Barisan had lost their two-thirds majority and five state governments.

I decided to drive around Kuala Lumpur, just to see what would happen. And what happened? Nothing.

The streets were quiet. No celebratory parties, no processions, no fireworks; nothing.

The Opposition and their supporters on the streets were as muted as the Barisan and their supporters.

No gloating, no taunting, no excuses at all to provoke a reaction from the supporters of the powers-that-be.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will not impose new taxes to compensate for any potential loss of revenue from its plan to shelve excise duties to lower the sticker price for cars if it takes power in the next general election.

PKR’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli had on Tuesday announced that the federal opposition intends to cut the triple tax on cars — import, excise and sales tax — if it wins the coming general election.

Today, Rafizi (picture) said that there will be “no introduction of new taxes”.

Instead, he said, a PR federal government would instead cut spending and also revamp the current Approved Permit (AP) system to make up for any losses.

“I think we can look at how we manage APs. APs now… to give riches buta-buta (blindly),” he said.

“If AP is managed well, there will be a source of wealth that can balance the loss of revenue from excise duty.”

However, he said, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would only announce details of PR’s mechanism for the alternative source of revenue next week.

Rafizi had previously admitted that the government could lose RM8 billion in yearly revenue if car taxes are cut.

But the offer to voters will effectively boost the disposable incomes of Malaysians and reduce household debts.

Malaysians pay inordinately high prices for cars mainly because of the protection afforded to national carmaker Proton since 1984.

The public pays import, excise and sales taxes that translate into some of the highest car prices in the region and the world.

A recent income survey found that a household earning RM3,000 a month could spend up to 50 per cent of its income on maintaining a car.

A cut in car duties — which currently run as high as 105 per cent — could help stimulate the economy by boosting disposable income and reducing household debt burden, analysts have also told The Malaysian Insider.

The high taxes now have resulted in about 20 per cent of the RM581 billion total household debt in the country last year being held in cars, an asset that depreciates over time.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Pakatan must be mad if they think the Rakyat are going to continue paying extra for their cars to some AP Crony – this shows Anwar supports apartheid in some manner as well! Unvotable! Vote 3rd Force which will make ALL OF MALAYSIA an AP and duty free zone. Who ever suggests or supports keeping AP must be enmired in crony politics mentality, a crony or plain greedy. Look around the world, there is no such thing as AP in any developed country and even in Africa where apartheid has officially ended, there is no AP, though apartheid still exists in some places unofficially from unremoved legal or social or other embedded structures.

Jul 25: Acknowledging it is the government’s right to appeal against yesterday’s decision by the High Court declaring the coalition a legal entity, the grouping however advised Home minister Hishamuddin Hussein not to do so.

“For the sake of our country, we sincerely ask them not to pursue with an appeal and to drop all the civil suits against us as it is a waste of public funds,” Bersih 2.0 steering committee members said in a statement.

The coalition said it hoped BN would accept present political realities and deal with Bersih 2.0 as a legitimate entity demanding free and fair elections on behalf of the people.

Judge Rohana Yusof ruled in favour of Bersih, pointing out to contradiction by the authorities who allowed Bersih to hold its third rally this year despite not revoking the pronouncement that it was ‘illegal’.

Bersih is led by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreevenasan and literary icon Samad Said, along with 14 other steering committee members.

Responding to the judgement, Hishamuddin said his ministry would discuss with the Attorney General whether to appeal against the decision.

Bersih meanwhile called on BN to start cooperating to improve the electoral system.

Meanwhile, PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, describing the judgement a victory for the people, hoped that lesson was learnt by BN.

“This is a reminder against issuing a declaration which violated the law, and Hishamuddin should be aware that many rally participants were arrested because of that wrong declaration,” he added.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

A group of citizens backed by the Bar Council, could file a lawsuit against the Home Minister, CPO of the district or at least the highest ranking officer at the rally for not making orders clear or controlling their men. As for being beaten and hurt during the rally where provable (i.e. has filmed evidence) compensation by the ENTIRE police force perhaps in salary dockings collectively shared rather than taxapayers’ monies, no offense to police but this shouldn’t be too much individually when divided, and does give a message to the police to not resort to violence or at least use submission holds and moves (no hitting with batons or rubber hoses unnecessarily, what does the PDRM think this is, Camel Riders in Egypt under Mubarak?), with any protestors and ralliers who threw the first punch first being left out of any compensation unless obviously retaliated against in an inequitable manner. Lets see if the Courts or Bar Council get blackballed internationally or the Home Minister, CPO or Ranking Officer has to resign at very least. As for BERSIH, please make clear on the below, Anwar’s ‘keep AP in place’ fortells much cronyism and potential apartheid if anything :

;and field some candidates for GE13! We can’t hand the government to either BN or PR, 3rd force is best (well maybe DAP and PKR if the 90% and 50% family blocs (and crony capitalists) respectively are not fielded in GE13!

ARTICLE 7

PKR Youth wing against hudud – Wednesday, 25 July 2012 Super Admin

NOT IN FAVOUR: Its chief, Shamsul Iskandar, on same wavelength as Karpal in opposing the Islamic law

Its chief, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, yesterday warned his Pas counterpart, Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, that he had opened a Pandora’s box over his recent comment on the implementation of hudud, which had raised the ire of Karpal and other DAP members.

He said it was improper for Nasrudin to dredge up the longstanding issue as he claimed that the stance of the alliance between PKR, DAP and Pas on the Islamic criminal law was clear.

“I would like to advise Nasrudin to refer to our agreement late last year that hudud is not part of Pakatan Rakyat’s joint policy until all member parties agree to it.”

Shamsul Iskandar added that close to 30 top opposition party leaders had met for over three hours on Sept 29, last year to resolve the deep-rooted hudud issue, which has seen DAP and Pas repeatedly at loggerheads.

“DAP’s objection has to be respected and PR will continue to allow its members to air different views,” he said.

On Friday, Karpal had expressed displeasure upon learning that Nasrudin had, during a political debate, suggested that he was willing to consider hudud for the country.

Hudud is a term used in Syariah to describe the class of punishment for certain crimes such as theft, fornication and adultery, consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants and apostasy.

Nasrudin had uttered the remark during a debate with Umno Working Committee Secretariat of Young Ulama chairman Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya.

Karpal had also asked Pas leaders to keep its “members in the lower ranks” in check, and urged them to pursue the welfare state, an ideal endorsed by the DAP, PKR and Pas alliance.

He had also claimed that Pas had abandoned its aspirations to set up an Islamic state and implement Islamic laws in the country as a trade-off for its cooperation with DAP and PKR.

On Monday, however, Pas syura council member Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed refuted Karpal’s statement and said having Islamic laws and setting up an Islamic state were still high on Pas’s agenda.

Pas Youth deputy chief Dr Raja Ahmad Al Hiss yesterday said he did not want the dispute between Karpal and Nasrudin to interfere with preparations for the elections.

“Since the general election is approaching, Pas does not want to get distracted as we want to stay committed to ensuring Pakatan Rakyat’s victory and capturing Putrajaya,” he said in a text message yesterday.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong challenged senior PKR and DAP leaders to state their stand on hudud and to “chastise Pas” over its plan to implement Islamic laws in the country.

“If PKR is for the creation of a welfare state, does that mean it is for or against hudud, considering the fact that its leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had voiced his support for hudud?” Wee asked in a statement here yesterday.

“So far, Karpal has been a lone ranger in speaking against hudud. (Are) the DAP office-bearers distancing themselves from their chairman?”

“Karpal cannot confidently say that Pas gave up on the creation of an Islamic state in favour of a welfare state if Nasrudin publicly declares otherwise and has the support of a Pas Syura council member.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

I can imagine DAP and PAS throwing even more religious strawmen at the Rakyat if they win. What will be left of Malaysia may be worse but in a different way than if BN won. BN – Corruption and Racism, or PR – Fundamentalism and Nepotism? Choose neither BN nor PR by voting for 3rd Force. BN came and went. Pakatan failed and needs to be booted. 3rd Force must prevail or more madness, but of a different sort, looks set to continue under PR unless all Pakatan MP’s sign a statuary declaration supporting a bill for :

But only 3rd Force looks able to sign a Statuary Declaration confirming their committment to ensure the above, with BN actually currently having the mandate to grant the above but simply refusing to use that mandate! Failed coalitions both! Vote for 3rd Force!

Amanah has decided to go with BN’s ‘don’t use mandate’ to ‘not end apartheid’ or ‘don’t end 2 classes of citizenship’ – so Amanah becomes non-3rd Force. Does the Rakyat know how to vote yet?

Career politicians — which would be what most Malaysian politicians are — are in it for the money. If politicians are not paid any salary or allowance and, say, wakil rakyat, instead of receiving a salary/allowance, need to pay for the ‘honour’ of being a wakil rakyat, how many would want to become a wakil rakyat?

For example, the First Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, took six months no-pay leave to campaign in the general election (he handed the administration of the country to his deputy, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein). He also sold a lot of his personal property to finance Umno. When the Tunku retired he was almost broke and could not even afford to pay his income tax. So the government froze his gratuity.

How many politicians would do what the Tunku did?

The Tunku, understandably, was very sad. After being ousted and forced out of office on allegations that he was a ‘Chinese lover’ and that he is to blame for the 13th May 1969 race riots due to his excessive ‘compromises’ with the Chinese, he is whacked with a huge income tax bill and his gratuity is frozen.

The Tunku who did so much for the country and sacrificed his personal wealth for the sake of the country is made into a pariah and suffers persecution. That turned him into a bitter old man and when the old Umno was wound up and the new Umno (Umno Baru) was formed he refused to become a member. In fact, he worked with Semangat 46 to oppose Umno Baru. And when he died he died outside Umno.

The Third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, also opposed Umno Baru and, just like the Tunku, died outside Umno. He too did not like what Umno had become. His intentions never changed. Neither did the Tunku’s. But Umno had changed. And both these gentlemen did not like what they saw in the new Umno that rose from the ashes of the old Umno.

. . . what happens if the party has transformed or mutated into something that you do not believe in? Do you call it a day and move on or do you bite the bullet and stifle your dissent? Dissent would be considered as rebellion in a political party. Demonstrating dissent would weaken the party as it gives an impression that the party is divided, or worse, disintegrating.

But doing so goes against what you believe in. So what do you do? Do you speak out and risk being seen as not toeing the party line or do you leave and be called a traitor or turncoat? Not an easy decision, especially for someone who has attained a high profile status in the party.

For example, the Qur’an starts by saying that there is good and there is bad in liquor but there is more bad than good. Hence this verse can be taken as an advice about the ills of liquor but not quite a prohibition from drinking.

Then the Qur’an says you must not drink before your prayers. This is a prohibition but a prohibition only when you are going to pray. In other words you can still drink as long as you are not about to pray.

Finally, the Qur’an prohibits liquor altogether.

Now, the Qur’an is supposed to be the word of God but sent to us through the Prophet Muhammad. So why can’t God (or Muhammad) make up His mind? Why the ‘U-turn’? Why like this one day and like that another day? Why not be consistent?

Students of the Qur’an can tell you that in the early days of Islam when the pagans of Mekah were not yet ready to fully abandon their old customs and traditions, Muhammad (or God, if you embrace the belief that the Qur’an is God’s word) had to be more compromising and less hard line. However, after more than a decade, after Islam had become well entrenched in Medinan society, Muhammad was able to be more intolerant and less compromising on what was considered unIslamic.

True, people have left Umno-BN and people have crossed over from the opposition to join Umno-BN. But different people have done so for different reasons.

Onn Jaafar, as an example, left Umno because Umno would not accept non-Malays into the party. He wanted Umno to abandon its Malay agenda and transform itself into a Malaysian party. But Umno could not agree to that. So, since Umno did not share his ideals of a non-race-based party, he left. Since he could not change Umno and since he was not prepared to change his stand just to toe the party line, he quit to form his own non-race-based party UMNO Baru.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The above article is the cleaned up and manipulation free version of the original. Read the original at your own risk at :

RPK is still manipulating, propagating (replicating more like) a certain ‘definitely skewed’ mode of thought, though far more cautiously after the past few responses on this blog which some might consider harsh. But when a man as old as RPK speaks, tolerance for manipulation and inaccuracy or lack of logic is virtually zero by the standards of today’s youth. More rebuttals :

1) But doing so goes against what you believe in. So what do you do? Do you speak out and risk being seen as not toeing the party line or do you leave and be called a traitor or turncoat? Not an easy decision, especially for someone who has attained a high profile status in the party.

This presumes or causes the reader “corruptible ethics” as well as pre-empts political parties to be undemocratic . RPK sinks to new lows, or displays more uncorrected character flaws . . .

2) . . . Muhammad was able to be more intolerant and less compromising on what was considered unIslamic. . . .

Shows that RPK is not ‘naturally nice’ or ‘naturally all encompassing’ or not inclined to diversity. So if RPK is praising and intending to be like Muhammed, fully expect that IF RPK has the ‘power’, RPK will be merciless but meanwhile will play nice because RPK has no power at the moment. So who needs this sort of MP/leader like RPK? Fail again, and more authoritarianism. I still encourge RPK to return to Malaysia and stand against Anwar in Anwar’s constituency, choosing between the lesser of 2 evils and all that y’know . . . UMNO Baru could even be revived but only if the below 3 items are part of the new party and part of all MP or required as candidates’ statuary declarations for the Rakyat :

Otherwise only 3rd Force candidates fresh from the Rakyat with a Statuary Declaration on the above 3 items, and ready to leave after 2 terms are the only votables. End the APARTHEID of Bumiputra and make Apostasy something that cannot be punished! The Quran cannot be misinterpreted in this manner as a tool of control against Malays, even as APARTHEID of Bumiputra is against all concept of Islamic (and Human) civilisation!

An article in the Perkasa website accuses the DAP veteran of being the main force behind the riots which, according to the writer, claimed 2,000 lives.

RK Anand, FMT

Ruling politicians have never failed to remind Malaysians of the sectarian violence which rocked the nation more than four decades ago.

The spectre was often summoned to stoke fear in the hearts of the electorate and served as a convenient tool to create suspicion and animosity between the races.

And while the soon-to-be repealed Sedition Act was used against those who uttered statements of comparatively lesser evil, those who peddled the May 13 bogey were however left untouched.

With the 13th general election looming and being touted as the nation’s most pivotal political bout, the bloodletting of 1969 had cropped up with increasing frequency, especially with the Chinese having turned their backs on the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition as evident in their voting trend.

And in the forefront of this bandwagon was Perkasa, the self-appointed vanguard of the Malay race in Malaysia.

In a recent article published on its website, the writer had accused DAP’s Lim Kit Siang of being the prime mover behind the racial riots.

The article was accompanied by a macabre montage depicting the veteran politician with a bloody hand print in the background and blood dripping over his face, with the words “13 Mei”.

The article claimed that the opposition leader later sang a different tune, saying that DAP was willing to work with BN to ensure that such a tragic episode did not recur.

“His aim was to put a lid on his cardinal sin as the main force [pengerak utama] behind May 13 and to wash his hands of the blood of the innocent victims [of the riots],” it read.

The article, titled “Kit Siang pernah halau Melayu dari Kg Baru”, was penned in reaction to Lim’s vexed response to the accusation that DAP was infiltrated by Communist elements.

Delving into the history of DAP’s formation, the article stated that since its inception, the party had close ties with Singapore’s People’s Action Party or PAP.

Following Singapore’s departure from the Federation, the article said DAP was formed with Lim, who was said to share family ties with Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, being one of the pioneers.

“There is not much difference between DAP and PAP. So it does not come as a surprise that the new generation of DAP leaders like Lim’s son Guan Eng continue the tradition of ‘worshipping’ PAP,” it added.

The ‘big headed’ Chinese

Following the 1969 general election, the article stated that DAP and Gerakan (which was then an opposition party) grew arrogant after securing a huge victory in Selangor.

“DAP used the freedom of expression without limits to condemn and insult the Malays during a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur which saw them bring banners and loud-hailers.

“It had only been 12 years since the Chinese were accorded full citizenship based on one of the conditions set forth by the British and they [the Chinese] had grown big headed,” it read.

Citing a report by the National Action Council then, the article said it was found that DAP’s street procession in which racist sentiments were spewed against the Malays was the catalyst behind the racial riots.

Interestingly, the article stated that 2,000 lives were lost in the riots despite official statistics placing the death toll at under 200 amidst claims that it was an attempt to downplay the incident.

According to the article, the slogan bandied about by Lim and the other Chinese leaders in DAP during their procession was “Malai si which meant ‘Mati Melayu’ [Malays are dead].”

The fact was, claimed the article, DAP cannot change to become a party which would champion the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera “because racism runs deep in its veins”.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

” The fact was, claimed the article, DAP cannot change to become a party which would champion the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera “because racism runs deep in its veins”. “

Tsk! RK Anand’s line reads no better being racism by neglect of consideration that all citizens have the same rights under law and that Bumiputra Special Privileges were as per the Reid Commission only allowed to be in place fo 15 years and then reviewed for removal. The way RK Anand speaks, sounds as if Bumiputra was intended to be forever! That is the Social Contract. Equality for all Malaysians AFTER 15 years of Special privileges. How about we have parties that do not champion rights of any race and instead champion rights of MALAYSIAN citizens . . . DAP and PAS get along because of a sense of Fundamentalism. What does RK Anand think of the below and will RK Anand even dare ask for what is merely equality even where Pakatan cynically and unfairly fail to act to ensure what UN and Quran assure all humanity?

The NGOs in Malaysia have found themselves ‘between a ROC and a hard place…’, says Suaram’s adviser Kua Kia Soong.

While the Registrar of Societies may now feign innocence regarding their selectivity in registering societies by questioning Suaram’s registration as a business, let me remind the young generation and those with short memories about our nation’s shortcomings relating to the freedom of association in our recent history.

As you know, ‘Operation Lalang’ was Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s autocracy at its worst when he arrested and detained more than a hundred innocent Malaysians without trial in October 1987.

Upon the release of the last Operation Lalang detainees in 1989, several of these detainees including my goodself and members of the Families Support Group formed this human rights organisation known as Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia). Aware of the obstacles in registering a human rights society under the Registrar of Societies, Suaram registered as a business under the Registrar of Business.

At the time, another human rights organisation, Hakam had taken more than two years to be registered in 1989 even though it boasted two former prime ministers (Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn) as its patrons. It had tried unsuccessfully several times to register as a society in the eighties.

The Malaysian chapter of Amnesty International also tried unsuccessfully for five years to register as a society under the Societies Act. Two applications and an appeal to the Home Minister were also rejected.

Consequently, quite a number of NGOs decided that in order to carry out their services to society, they had no choice but to register as businesses.

So why is there a sudden interest in Suaram’s status after its 23 years’ existence? Is it coincidental that this has arisen out of our recent request to the French judicial system to pursue suspected commissions embroiled in the RM7 billion Scorpene submarine deals?

It is no secret

Given the difficulties created by the Societies Act, some non-governmental organisations, including Suaram decided to register as companies or businesses.

As the corporate gurus say, “If something is not working, do something else.” Or, as Deng Xiaoping famously said, “It does not matter if the cat is white or black, as long as it catches the mice.” The mice, in the case of NGOs, are defending human rights, democracy and social justice.

NGOs registering as companies were certainly not a secret. In fact, in early 1997 the government threatened to force all NGOs to register under the Societies Act. Nonetheless, registration as a company has not completely protected NGOs from harassment by the government, as the recent intrusion by the SSM into Suaram’s accounts has demonstrated.

In 1996, the Institut Pengajian Komuniti (IPK), an NGO taking up the issue of rights of indigenous peoples in Sarawak was de-registered by the Registrar of Business over a legal technicality.

The ROC’s Tenaganita fiasco

In 1997, the Registrar of Companies raided the offices of Tenaganita, the NGO that had exposed inhuman conditions in immigrant detention centres, and confiscated their documents.

Tenaganita and two directors were subsequently charged in court in March 1997 under the Companies Act for late filing of audited financial statements of 1994. And most unusual was the fact that the charges were prosecuted by a Deputy Prosecutor from the Attorney-General’s Chambers instead of the usual officers of the Registrar.

The charges were subsequently withdrawn on July 9, 1997 when it was pointed out in court that the Registrar had already compounded the offences and accepted payment of a fine through Tenaganita’s accountants.

Then on Sept 5, 1997, the Registrar again issued fresh charges against Tenaganita and two directors on minor technicalities. This time around, the Registrar refused to compound the alleged offences for a fine.

After Tenaganita mounted a legal challenge to the prosecutions alleging mala fide prosecution, the charges were withdrawn on Nov 25, 1997.

As you can see, NGOs in Malaysia have found themselves “between a ROC and a hard place…”

PSM’s Greek tragedy

Opposition political parties have fared no better. Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) only obtained its legal registration as a political party in 2008, 10 years after it first filed its application. The entire saga endured by PSM in its struggle to be registered reads like a Greek tragedy in modern Malaysia.

And of course, the Registrar of Societies can feign selective outrage yet again: “Wasn’t the Malaysian Indian United party (MIUP), whose founding leader is S Nallakaruppan swiftly registered in October 2007, just five months after he quit PKR in May 2007?”

“You mean the party that pledged to work closely with, and give its support to, the ruling BN coalition? Yes, we believe the ROS acted expeditiously on their application…”

Restrictions to the fundamental right to freedom of association are also imposed on trade union officials through the Trade Unions Act. Today, less than 10 per cent of Malaysian workers are unionised compared to more than 60 per cent at the time of Independence. What a transformation indeed!

Inspecting the good guys

We stress that the entire charade by the government to harass Suaram through a complaint by some nonentity in the public and CCM’s ‘routine’ inspection is political and uncalled for.

We do not even know if the complaint was made officially to the CCM. It would appear that the CCM is acting on every single complaint (offical or otherwise) from the public at a highly efficient rate.

We question if there is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within CCM that provides guidelines on receiving and acting on a complaint.

We also question whether or not the SOP requires the CCM to first verify the background of the complainant prior to receiving and acting on a complaint.

From the evidence in the Paris (Scorpene Scandal) Papers, one would have expected that the CCM would know its priorities and begin “routinely inspecting” the highly dubious activities and accounts of Perimekar Sdn Bhd and Terasasi Sdn Bhd, but have they?

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Show us that people who can look like so-called ‘leaders’ are able to do good and not merely ask for funeral funds. Run for election as an independent candidate Kua Kia Song.

‘As for the technicality of registration’, my dear Perfessher, there is no need for that. A statuary declaration to abide by certain items for any group of candidates is all thats needed. ROS which is being a problem and obviously less than neutral becomes a perfunctory body that can be safely ignored and bypassed (in a neutral ROS peopled by neutral people that may not be the case but in Malaysia, very much so), political parties are an instrument of control. The technicality and illusion of a ‘great party’ of unity is to con the people with. The people however do not care about political parties anymore. All want to be entertained and all want social freedoms. If an independent candidate or a group of independant candidates runs for election, can give that, as opposed to a oh-so-unified party controlled by an undemocratic term limitless supremo who fears activists and independent minded persons so much they would prefer to sabotage and poison and drug then label these potential competitors as insane, guess who the people would rather vote for? Taking the above into consideration, the ROS is absolutely redundant when faced with independent candidates.

Conform much Dr. Kua? Even the below commentator thinks more outside the box that this preconceived acceptance of ROS and being in a political party to participate in democratic processes! Looks very much like so but all PHd. holders are brainwashed confirmists to a degree . . . there is no need to belong to a political party or need association with the ROS. And all MPs and Assemblymen should GTFO of Dewan to allow the next generation of people to take over and perhaps even like Tunku Abdul Rahman did specifically – FOR FREE not asking for state funds. Wanna join 3rd Force on this premise? To not collect a single cent of salary like Tunku Abdul Rahman, AND leave after 2 terms? Now THAT would be statesmanship! Not the shameless demands for 750K funerals, pretenses about normalcy of family bloc term limitlessness ,or morons impressed by the concept of political parties and the need for ROS controlling whether or not a group of people may peacefully engage in democratic processes like politics.

ROS is not worth talking to because ROS is so un-neutral – totally idiotic ROS won’t even let a political party choose a logo IN THIS DAY OF CUSTOMISATION, DISALLOWING LOGO CHOICE IS TOO IDIOTIC AND BACKWARD!!! ROS is absolutely dictatorial and BACKWARD ! Let a particular logo of free choice represent a statuary declaration that all ‘unaffiliated independent’ candidates have signed, and let the ‘unaffiliated independent’ candidates wear a button badge that features the logo, or insert that logo in every public photo. There, ROS refusal to register party and logo problem solved.

Break the mold or be broken by the mold! Lets make this square (w)hole!

Commentator Comments :
…
written by A Bolehlander, July 31, 2012 14:42:21
ROC often expound that they are merely handling the registers and not a regulator (that’s when you lodge a complain over something and they refuse to take any action). Good reason why a change of governance is necessary. as Tao sage says, if you keep walking the same path, you’ll just continue reaching the same destination. 55 years of strolling down the slope (and gaining momentum too). How about changing the vehicle, the direction and way of doing things, for better or worse, we are sure at least we won’t be going down the same slope, a risk worth taking

…
written by malsia1206, July 31, 2012 14:12:13
The Pedigree in Barisan’s stable – AG, PDRM
The Thorougbreds in Barisan’s stable – EC, MACC
The Lower Liners in Barisan’s stable – ROS, CCM, National Registration, Immigration
The Judiciary is another prime suspect to fit into the upper tier.
That’s the critical setup of this present regime. Keep em all in Putrajaya’s pockets.

…
written by singhkris, July 31, 2012 14:17:06
Why is the Registrar not being challenged in court.

Anyway you continue with your challenge and the case in France. If you have to mount a legal challenge to fend off any trumped up charges, I am sure there are enough Malaysians who will support you financially. Just give a call!

PETALING JAYA, July 31 — PKR today suggested auctioning off Approved Permits (APs) for imported vehicles through an open bidding process in the first three years under Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) rule before abolishing the system entirely in 2015.

The party’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli said this would be on top of PR’s electoral pledge to slash excise duties and to help reduce household debt and boost the disposable incomes of Malaysians.

He told a press conference today that if an estimated 70,000 APs are awarded every year, the auction should fetch nearly RM3 billion in revenue annually for the government.

He said this would help compensate for the RM8 billion in annual losses expected from PR’s plan to slash car excise duties, which currently run as high as 105 per cent.

“Under Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN), the AP system only benefits those who are close to them.

“This is why PKR suggests that the next government, whether or not under BN or PR, must abolish the AP system by 2015 in order to comply by agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA),” he said.

Rafizi pointed out that under the country’s National Automotive Policy (NAP) in 2005, the AP system was supposed to be abolished by December 31, 2010, but was instead extended by five years to 2015.

He said Malaysians must be reminded of this, as the system was meant to help Bumiputera entrepreneurs to flourish in the automotive industry.

“In his Budget 2010 speech, (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak annnounced that every AP will be sold for RM10,000 and funds from them will be channelled to a special Bumiputera entrepreneur fund.”

Rafizi said that in 2011 alone, some 600,123 new cars were registered. Of that total, he said 533,515 units were manufactured and assembled in Malaysia, which meant that some 66,608 APs were issued for imported vehicles.

He said if APs were sold at RM10,000 each, the government should have spent RM666 million to help Bumiputera entrepreneurs from the fund.

“But until today, we still do not know what has happened to that fund or how funds from the sale of APs have been spent,” he said.

“This is why PKR suggests that the next government adheres to the commitment to abolish the AP system by 2015. But for the first three years from 2013 to 2015, necessary measures must be taken to ensure that we get the best value from the APs issued through this open auction,” he said.

Rafizi suggested that the opening bid for the auction of an AP should be set at RM10,000 for fuel-saving vehicles, RM20,000 for regular vehicles and RM30,000 for higher capacity vehicles.

He said with the estimated revenue from the auction, PR’s plan to reduce car prices by slashing excise duties would be easier to implement as it would compensate for the RM8 billion drop in government revenue.

“At the same time, our tax revenue from other means would also increase because when we return RM8 billion into the pockets of Malaysians, this would in turn be pumped back into the economy,” he pointed out.

PKR had last week promised not to impose new taxes to compensate for any potential loss of revenue from its plan to shelve excise duties to lower the sticker price of cars if it takes power in the next elections.

Malaysians pay inordinately high prices for cars mainly because of the protection afforded to national carmaker Proton since 1984.

The public pays import, excise and sales taxes that translate into some of the highest car prices in the region and the world.

A recent income survey found that a household earning RM3,000 a month could spend up to 50 per cent of its income on maintaining a car.

A cut in car duties — which currently run as high as 105 per cent — could help stimulate the economy by boosting disposable income and reducing household debt burden, analysts have also told The Malaysian Insider.

The high taxes now have resulted in about 20 per cent of the RM581 billion total household debt in the country last year being held in cars, an asset that depreciates over time.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“At the same time, our tax revenue from other means would also increase because when we return RM8 billion into the pockets of Malaysians, this would in turn be pumped back into the economy,” he pointed out. Exceptional . . . LIKE! Frankly the above logic could be applied to almost every other tax or fee or toll or even road tax. The money should be flooating in the system not sequestered by government departments to ‘spend on our behalf’, we can do the spending instead of passing the money to the government to spend ‘for us’. Oh and remember Encik Ramli, – 2 TERMS ONLY, then GTFO of the Dewan and let another try their hand at governance before nepotistic family blocs form, power madness or corruption begins – AGAIN.

“This is why PKR suggests that the next government, whether or not under BN or PR, must abolish the AP system by 2015 in order to comply by agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA),” he said. “This is why PKR suggests that the next government adheres to the commitment to abolish the AP system by 2015. But for the first three years from 2013 to 2015, necessary measures must be taken to ensure that we get the best value from the APs issued through this open auction,” he said.

How about abolishing the AP system immediately? But Pakatan would rather not educate the citizens or voters on how (lets say at 3 APs per receipient) AP enriches 23,000 or less cronies while the rest of the populace has to pay these 23,000 people who doubtless will Pakatan voters and supporters! This is unjust and, 23K people will be enriched at the expense of everyone else . . . thats 0.1% out of 26+ million citizens. Who is stupid enough to support this sort of thing? Just scrap the AP system, this is stealing from BN to enrich PR! Drop the pretence and WORK or do business or what not. AP is RENT-SEEKING plain and simple – for 23,000 CRONIES!!! Want to do something real? Allow car modders to indulge their modifications and see a boom in the most important lower end economy of garage owners and small accessory or customisable part imports, REAL work and REAL economy, not this 23K cronies get rent seeking money justified by bad laws.

Then remove Road Toll Concessionaires or limit charges to no more than 10% of month salaries at most! This way disposable income will not end up in ‘Toll Booth Corp’ or what not crony company! PAS not talking about bulldozing Tolls anymore? Greed got to them then? During the Prophet’s time, EVERYONE travelled for free, and the only people who stopped others and asked for money were HIGHWAY ROBBERS or BEGGARS which are now legitimized into the toll booth form! Even beggars are rich (though they pretend to be poor) and highway robbers have moved to high tech or less risky or more people friendly ways of making cash – like targeting the wealthy, ripping out ATMs and stealing cars for parts! The Toll Booth structure is too much like PROTECTION MONEY and gangsterism! Even gangsters prefer to set up their own pubs or mini-casinos (LEGALIZE THIS non-Muslim ENTERTAINMENT – Issue Mini Licenses . . . or run for candidacy as indies who will! ) instead than need to go door to door demanding cash. So think how unpleasant and lowly Toll Booths are in the eyes of the Rakyat (For the ‘adventurous’, how about – – – – ing the Toll Booth as well . . . ). Start bulldozing the Toll Booths or limiting the charges to no more than 10% of income at most . . .

Rafizi pointed out that under the country’s National Automotive Policy (NAP) in 2005, the AP system was supposed to be abolished by December 31, 2010, but was instead extended by five years to 2015.

The whole point of AFTA is do remove red tape and make the burden less on the consumers. These delays are intolerable. And no matter what way they present Vehicular AP, BN or PR, there is no wealth being spread here, but rent seeking and parasitism of political parties off ordinary citizens! These guys also do know that Bumiputra Apartheid was supposed to be ended in 1976 but to honestly concede, some of us are aware of how entrenched and stagnant the shameful AP mentality is now. 3 years eh? But what about completing the end of the Reid Commission’s near 60 year postponed review like gentlemen who can keep their word? The Malay leader who speaks about this would gain the respect of the international community – the above is more compromise and pandering to weakness than progress but that Reid Commission Review cannot be ignored any more. Will 3rd Force win on the back of this against BN and Pakatan failures to address? Pakatan must be aware that the very same could be given by BN IMMEDIATELY or in a statuary declaration by 3rd Force indie candidates as well. So how about making moves to ensure tha 30-40% non-Malay demographic as well with something definitive towards :

BESUT, Aug 2 — A civil servant allegedly threatened his neighbour with a paintball gun in Kampung Raja here, after his child was awakened by fireworks yesterday afternoon.

He was later detained by police at 11.25 pm last night.

“The 44-year-old suspect went to the victim’s house about 12.30 pm and threatened to shoot him with a paintball gun,” Besut police chief Supt Kamaruddin Zakaria told Bernama here today.

The victim, a 35-year-old labourer, lodged a report at the village police station the same evening, he added.

“We also seized a paintball gun at the suspect’s house,” he said.

Kamaruddin said the suspect was detained for criminal intimidation under the Penal Code and for not having a licence for the gun. — Bernama

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Any person with common sense would be laughing if someone threatened with a paintball gun and invite the person to a paintball game or match. Seized a paintball gun? Licensing is needed for a painball gun?!? So will a can of paint be considered similar to a grenade? I think the cops need to go after those with real illegal weapons instead. PB guns are toys. Fireworks in residential areas (especially at certain hours) are an offense though. Commercial areas, not really. The police sure this arrest or even this Penal Code is correct or makes sense?

ARTICLE 12

We are Malay-Muslims, we are entitled (the author is being sarcastic) 1 August 2012 | Why You Can, I Cannot? | Posted by Syahredzan Johan

Syahredzan Johan asks during this holy month, are Malay-Muslims entitled to better rights than others?

So you are fasting. The sun is bearing down on you, your stomach is growling and your throat is parched. It is only 12.30 in the afternoon; you still have hours to go before you may break your fast. All of a sudden, a non-Muslim person appears before you, enjoying an icy cold can of your favourite cola. He looks like he is savouring the cola. You could imagine the sensation of that very same cola filling your throat with diabetes-inducing caffeine goodness. So you flare up. How dare this person drink in front of you? Does he have no respect for the holy month of Ramadhan, to be wantonly quenching his thirst in full view of Muslims? Does he not know that Muslims form the majority of this country and therefore must be respected?

This is the basic premise prevalent amongst many Malay-Muslims in this country. Muslims form the majority and therefore they are entitled to be respected. Malay-Muslim sensitivities must not be offended; the Malay-Muslim public must be protected from harm, confusion and many other bad and insidious things that may threaten the ummah. In recent times, these deep rooted sentiments are brought to the fore by opportunistic politicians. Thus it appeared as if Malay-Muslims have become more and more intolerant of minorities.

Malay-Muslims are entitled not to have a Hindu temple in the vicinity of their housing estate. Malay-Muslims are entitled to dictate what names others may invoke the Creator. Malay-Muslims are entitled to stop the sale of alcohol beverages and deny the establishment of a cinema in Malay majority areas.

Every Friday, Malay-Muslims are entitled to abandon their civic consciousness and park all over the place as if the streets belong to them. Malays-Muslims are entitled to blare religious ceramahs to every corner of the neighbourhood and into the wee hours of the night.

The prime minister must be Malay-Muslim, the civil service must be filled with Malay-Muslims and government bodies are seen as Malay institutions, tasked first and foremost to safeguard Malay and Muslim interests.

This premise of entitlement has also been used to justify the persecution and discrimination against sexual and religious minorities, purportedly because Article 3 provides that Islam is the religion of the Federation. So we say that LBGTs do not enjoy protection of the Constitution because their sexual orientations are against Islam, although we conveniently forget that other things, like gambling, are also forbidden in Islam but are still legal in this country. Books are seized and banned and fatwas are made absolute. In a recent decision, the Federal Court went so far to say that the integrity of the religion needs to be safeguarded at all costs. Does ‘at all costs’ include the supremacy of the Federal Constitution as the highest law of the land?

Make no mistake, this is not about Islam. It is about how we justify the discrimination, persecution and blatant disregard for fundamental liberties, all in the name of religion. It is how we view and treat others as inferior to us because we believe that we are entitled to do so. We permit transgressions because we labour under this presumption that Malay-Muslims, by virtue of being Malays and Muslims, are entitled to the best of the country as they occupy a higher standing than the rest of the rakyat out there.

There is no legal or constitutional basis for this. Article 3 does not make Malaysia an Islamic state and Article 4 expressly provides that the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Article 8 provides that every citizen is equal before the law and enjoys equal protection of the law. The oft quoted Article 153 does not make Malay-Muslims superior in law or fact, it only provides for the reservation of quotas for Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak in certain matters.

So what if Muslims are the majority? We have such a flawed understanding of democracy; as if in a democracy, the rights of minorities are inferior to the rights of the majority. That is why we have a Constitution, which protects and guarantees the fundamental liberties of citizens from the tyranny of the majority.

We find ourselves up in arms at the fate of Muslims minorities in other countries like Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and China. We invoke freedom of religion when we hear of minarets being banned in Switzerland or burqas being banned in France. But if the rights of Muslim minorities should be protected in the face of the majority, why is it that we do not have the same vigour to protect the rights our non-Muslim minorities? Why must the rights of others here only be exercised if we deem those rights as exercisable?

So before you take offence at someone who is drinking in front of you while you are fasting, take a step back and think of your religion. Put aside your sense of entitlement and think; just because you are fasting, does it mean that everyone else around you must stow away their food and drinks?

Posted on 1 August 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.

Read more articles posted by Syahredzan Johan.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Apply accordingly the laws. In China or India, does a Malay or Muslim who is a full citizen have full access to whatever social services or some acronym b.s. government outfit funded equally from all tax payers? So in Malaysia, the same can only be applied on Chinese or Indian. This Syahredzan Johan writer sounds like an MP worthy sort, do run for private candidacy if able to endorse :

I believe that parallel comparisons of policy and constitution in Malaysia to India, and Malaysia to China, will confirm that the Indian and Chinese citizens here in Malaysia are getting a very bad deal – social and economic apartheid, and that the Indian or Chinese reps. (out of sheer greed or fear and cowardice) here have failed their duty as ‘leaders’ of their commmunities for allowing APARTHEID while the Malay MPs have been complict in not acting against such ill natured and shameful policy.

Selected Commentator Comments :

@starranise – 1 August 2012 – 5:54 pm

Apologising to all Muslims during Ramadhan when you have done nothing wrong is unnecessary. It is your right to eat or drink whenever you choose. You’re not the one fasting. Resisting temptations is one of the fundamental motives behind fasting. It is part of a Muslim’s trial. If they are offended or angry with you, they are jeopardising their own fast. Food and drink are secondary to the process of fasting. It is discipline, patience, consideration, empathy, feeling at peace with oneself and the people around you. That’s the deeper meaning of Ramadhan.

KUALA LUMPUR- Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew of DAP was taken to task by a MCA leader yesterday for not explaining why there was a growing number of illegal massage parlours operating in Selangor.

MCA Selangor liaison committee secretary Wong Kun Moon claimed that since DAP and its allies took over the state in 2008, the number of massage parlours had increased from 800 to 4,000.

“Liu had repeatedly denied this during state assembly sessions by saying that the previous administration under Barisan Nasional had put a freeze on the applications of new massage parlours since 2006.

“However, despite the freeze, about 3,200 illegal centres are now operating in the state,” Wong said when contacted yesterday.

(Liu is the Selangor executive council member in charge of Local Government, Research and Development and also Pandamaran assemblyman.)

Wong said several Selangor leaders, including Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, had queried Liu over the rising number of illegal massage parlours in the state.

“Every time the issue is raised, Liu will put the blame on the previous BN-led Selangor government.”

According to Wong, there were about 4,000 massage parlours operating in the state and a majority of them had no licence.

“There are more than 400 illegal centres operating in Klang alone. If Liu is sceptical, I urge him to take a look for himself and to stop lying.”

Wong, who is also Kuala Kubu Baru assemblyman, also urged Liu to clarify the matter by disclosing the number of massage parlours approved by the state government since 2008.

“The Selangor government has the authority to issue permits for these parlours, but its failure to enforce its rules over these centres has resulted in the rise of social problems.”

Wong also challenged Liu to prove he was not colluding with the owners of such centres “for his own personal benefit”.

He was referring to an incident on Nov 2, 2007, where Liu was accused of inciting the staff and customers of a hotel in Puchong to prevent a Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) enforcement officer from performing his duties.

In the anti-vice operation, police and MPSJ officers had raided the unlicensed hotel and detained 22 foreign prostitutes, including 12 male patrons.

In response to the allegations, Liu told Wong to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims and challenged him to disclose the list of the 4,000 massage parlours within 24 hours.

– New Straits Times

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We may not like Ronnie Liu supporting nepotism (close 1 eye mentality to democracy killing nepotism by Ronnie shows unethical mindset), but in this case let the people hang around these supposedly illegal bars instead of getting bored which leads to all kinds of negative behaviour. Make drinks cheap so they will be drinking instead of robbing to pay for expensive drinks. Legalise small-bet casinos and RLDs or Organics Psychedelics Bars so that they will be playing games and f- – – ing, or getting pleasantly stoned (price controls on organics please, these things grow FOR FREE and cost nothing!!! Prohibition mindset causes crime and high prices.) Instead of robbing people and burgling homes. Take away the entertainment districts at your own risk fools.

Guess who the first people they target will be? The MPs, Assemblymen, EXCOs, Residents Committees, even the people who set customs duties and tax levels (too damn high) and any law makers who took away their entertainment or made entertainment too expensive . . . on top of apartheid and extreme religion the Malaysian Fed Gov. want to take away places of entertainment? The Malaysian Fed Gov. must be insane . . . run for election and remove these red tape extremists and moralists. There are fun loving people who are not Muslims that need their spaces for entertainment too. Licence and legalize instead of creating more dangerous urban environments by boring the citizens out of their minds AMEND LAWS or GTFO of Dewan! . . .

ARTICLE 14

Fined for offensive weapon possesion, failure to produce IC – Thursday, August 02, 2012 – 15:48 – by Bernama
A MECHANIC was fined RM1,000, in default a month’s jail, by the Magistrate’s Court here today for possession of an offensive weapon in front of a hotel here last week.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abas handed down the sentence on Mohamad Audadi Mad Sarmor, 24, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

He was charged with having an iron knuckle duster in front of GEA Hotel, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Dang Wangi here at 2.20am last July 27.

Azmil Muntapha also fined another RM1,000, in default a month’s jail, for failing to produce his identity card or personal documents when requested by the police at the same place, time and date.

Azmil Muntapha allowed him bail of RM4,000 in one surety and set Sept 10 for mention.

Earlier, Zuraimi requested bail at RM5,000, but Johan, who was unrepresented, requested for a lower bail, saying that he had five children, including a two-year-old, and was the sole breadwinner.

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A knuckle duster is no less dangerous than any metal components or machine parts that can act like knuckledusters, or a glass bottled drink, any table wear or a heavy handbag filled with coins. Even a heavy chain for locking up gates is as dangerous. This is not a very good law. Then also the IC which is overkill. The police could ask the person to go home and pick up the IC instead of fining the person. 1000 is alot of money for most of the lower income types! Even 50 is alot . . . Actually knuckle dusters are manly accessories much like large steel rings set with large faceted stones on every finger.

Illegal to wear large rings on every finger then?

Even a steel weight for training could become a weapon more dangerous than a knuckle duster. How could the law be so unreasonable? Leave the ‘cool guys’ alone until they actually hurt someone. Just because someone forgot an IC or wore a knuckle duster does not entitle the state to treat them so badly or take awat so much money from them, inconvenience them with the court etc… The police are men too are they not? So don’t oppress your fellow men. These are MALE accessories. Surely the police have male relatives that keep their sense of ‘macho’ in an item or few on their person at all times? Amend all these chilling effect laws immediately! By this sort of logic, might as well ban motor vehicles, which possibly account for as many if not most of the injuries and deaths world wide overall . . .

Hardly weapons, but cool looking accessories . . . some handbags also incorporate knuckle dusters into the handles as a design statement.

ARTICLE 15

Several DAP Indian leaders furious at being left out – Sunday, 05 August 2012 Super Admin

(The Star) – Several DAP Indian leaders are furious after reports of their activities were conspicuously missing from the inaugural issue of the party’s Tamil newsletter, Makkal Kural (Peoples’ Voice).

They said only programmes of selected leaders were given prominence in the eight-page newsletter, which is distributed free.

There was also a question-and-answer with Kulasegaran and a one-page report on former Hindraf leader V. Ganabatirau.

Conspicuously missing were reports on DAP deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy and other Indian elected MPs and state assemblymen from the party.

DAP Bagan division assistant secretary G. Asoghan said many questioned why the newsletter did not carry reports of other DAP Indian leaders.

“This newsletter is for distribution to the Indian voters. We have to show what our (Indian) leaders have achieved to be able to convince them to support us,” he said.

“Anyone reading the newsletter will have the impression that Ambiga is a DAP leader. It is our own newsletter and we must highlight our leaders,” he said.

Pahang vice-chairman J. Appala-samy said he was surprised as he had compiled the reports of the various Indian leaders.

“None was used. For me, it was a waste of time,” he said.

A national DAP official said there would always be complaints but they will look into it.

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Several Indian leaders could set up an alternative Indian based party not beholden to the term limitless DAP Karpal family bloc nor lapdogs that accept apartheid like MIC. How about teaming up with Hindraf? DAP always glory hogs, and DAP is infected by PAP-USA-Zionist mentality. How about a 3rd Force NEUTRAL party? Look at Konsensus Bebas which is daring enough to kick Pakatan where deserved by leaving and setting up their own (unfortunately very likely lapdog party – as claimed by RPK had received millions in bribes to defect – that has not spoken against APARTHEID). In these few Indian leaders’ case, seperate from DAP and set up a 3rd Force Party working towards :

Konsensus Bebas might yet drop alliance with BN and with several Indian leaders here, a viable party in Penang could be set up to remove BOTH Pakatan’s nepotist gloryhog cliques and BN’s racists. The Rakyat should already be clear enough that the term limitless creeps hjave been in power too long, now punish Pakatan and DAP by dropping the undemocratic and sidelining freaks. Local intelligensia can dedicate efforts to Pakatan but not even the courtesy of an invitation to join or response. Indian leaders here, do you know how to respond to DAP’s Rakyat unfriendly and politically-door-closing sidelining behaviour?

Well, in case you have not realised, Yang Berhormat, not only same-sex marriages, as you said, erode the family institution. Sex outside marriage does as well. And there are many more Malaysians bonking outside marriage than Malaysians entering same-sex marriages. So why aren’t you appealing to all Malaysians to ‘protest en masse’ regarding this? This is a bigger problem than same-sex marriages.

(Bernama) – Malaysians of all races should protest en masse the practice of same sex marriages as they would erode the family institution, advised Minister in Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

Commenting on the recent wedding reception here of Malaysian gay Christian priest, Ngeo Boon Lin and his musical producer partner, Phineas Newborn III, who were married in New York last year, he said that even the Christians in the country prohibited such practices.

“The reception portrayed Malaysian society as confused. It’s clear their motive was to fight for gay rights,” he said.

He was speaking a press conference after breaking fast with the Department and agencies’ staff at the National Mosque, here.

**************************************

There are five references in the Qur’an regarding gay behaviour. The two main references to homosexual behaviour are:

“We also sent Lut : He said to his people : “Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.” Qur’an 7:80-81

“What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, and leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are forward folk.” Qur’an 26:165

Both these verses refer to gay sexual activities involving men. Gay sexual activities involving women or lesbian practices are not mentioned in the Qur’an. There is at least one mention of lesbian behaviour in the Hadith, though. However, while traditionalist orthodox Muslims regard the Hadith as the authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad, liberal Muslims doubt their authenticity. And some sects of Islam reject the Hadith totally or have a different version of the Hadith.

In many Muslim countries, homosexuality is condemned and subject to legal punishment. The specific punishment varies among jurists, ranging from jail time and/or flogging to the death penalty. In Islam, capital punishment is reserved only for the most grievous crimes that would hurt society as a whole. Some jurists place homosexuality under that category, particularly in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen etc.

Arrest and punishment for homosexual crimes, however, are not frequently carried out because Islam also places a strong emphasis on an individual’s right to privacy. If a ‘crime’ is not committed in the public sphere, it is largely overlooked as being a matter between the individual and God.

Now, is that clear, especially to the non-Muslims reading this piece? In short, a crime that is damaging to society is taken seriously and the punishment is severe. A crime that does not affect society and is committed behind closed doors is between you and God.

One very important aspect of Islam is: a person’s privacy must be respected and you should not spy on your neighbour. Spying on your neighbour is a bigger sin than the sin committed by your neighbour behind closed doors.

Now, why is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, so kaypoh about what others do? Whatever perceived sin the Christian priest, Ngeo Boon Lin, and his partner, Phineas Newborn III, did was done outside Malaysia. Even if a crime had been committed it was done so outside Malaysia’s jurisdiction. If these two had committed a crime then let the US punish them since they did it on US soil. What next does the Minister want to do? Peep on Malaysians in the UK who do not pray and fast and drink beer? Do you think Scotland Yard has no other problems to deal with?

If you were to ask a Muslim what is Islam all about, he or she would reply that Islam is about justice. If you were to ask a Muslim who may support the Islamic Sharia laws, in particular that branch of the Sharia called Hudud, he or she would reply: because the Sharia and Hudud is about justice.

Islam And Obsession of Muslims With Sex (and homosex)

But why do the religious scholars and politicians always and only talk about sex?

Islam is supposed to be about justice. But they talk as if Islam is only about sex. Everything that comes out of their mouths is about sex. I am yet to hear anyone talk about justice. It is always about sex. You are giving people the impression that Islam is so focused on sex that sex has become an obsession to Muslims.

Okay, Islam is against homosexuality. I am not going to deny that fact. But Islam also says that what you do behind closed doors is between you and God. Islam also says you should not spy on your neighbour or peep into your neighbour’s house. Islam also says that what you do in your home is your business as long as what you do does not hurt society. Only if it hurts society should we be concerned, even if it is done in the privacy of your home and office.

So, what are these crimes that do affect society and which we should be concerned about even if committed in the privacy of your home and office, and which the Minister should be talking about? Well, what about bribery, corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement of the country’s (meaning taxpayers’) resources, police violence, manipulation of the judiciary, cronyism, nepotism, racism, persecution, denial of someone’s fundamental rights, etc? There are loads and loads of sins and crimes that affect society and which Islam forbids. And on a list of 100 such sins and crimes, homosexuality sits at the bottom of that list. Yet we talk about the bottom 100th and not the top 99.

What is wrong with Muslims? They turn Islam into a religion of ridicule. And when people ridicule Islam these Muslims get angry. They threaten revenge and bloodshed. They demand death for those who insult Islam and/or Prophet Muhammad.

How do you expect people not to insult Islam if the Muslims themselves make a mockery of Islam? When you act like a lunatic of course people are going to call you a lunatic. And when Muslims act like lunatics you can expect non-Muslims to say that Islam is a bad religion.

You are demanding for non-Muslims to respect Islam. But how can you expect them to respect Islam when Muslims themselves act disrespectfully toward their own religion. You are turning Islam into a circus with the things you are doing and saying. And when people laugh you get angry.

Malaysians of all races should protest en masse the practice of same-sex marriages as they would erode the family institution, advised the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

Well, in case you have not realised, Yang Berhormat, not only same-sex marriages, as you said, erode the family institution. Sex outside marriage does as well. And there are many more Malaysians bonking outside marriage than Malaysians entering same-sex marriages. So why aren’t you appealing to all Malaysians to ‘protest en masse’ regarding this? This is a bigger problem than same-sex marriages.

Bangang sungguh menteri Melayu ni!

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This above is the ‘cleaned up version’ as far as I can note. Read the original littered with propaganda and NLPs at :

Also there are also some who actually tolerate or turn a blind eye to what their wives do for some emotional reasons, or for the sake of keeping appearances for their young or (familial stability craving) children (in this case the Syariah Courts and Islam have no right to destroy such private efforts to keep face or contrived respectability). In some other cases the older Muslim wife has been ‘given leave’ (verbally or non-verbally the intent is clear) by the husband who has new wives or a mistress even though the libido of the old (or aging) wife is still strong. These sorts of situations probably are met with very insensitive treatment by the Syariah Courts if any, given even that the religious police even target Mat Sallehs (in a most tribal/communal and uneducated manner), who sleep with Malay GROs or even casual sex between races by young persons married (more problematic) or unmarried (still a Human Right, but try broaching this IRL in Malaysia and get some very ugly feelings and looks, even outright violence).

Meanwhile the LGBT community which keeps to themselves is targeted, Muslims are effectively disallowed from going apostate – Inquisition style. Is Malaysia a civil society? Hardly and I’d say the Islamic Al-Azhar University at Cairo needs to send a delegation headed by a ‘Grand Inquisitor’ to address these Syariah and Hudud inspired abuses occuring in Malaysia by gathering all the State Muftis, Imams, Mullahs also Religious Police, any (corrupted as hell, also power mad likely, Federal Department Heads related to Islam) here and TELLING THEM CLEARLY what punishment or enforcement is allowed in Islam, the above examples invlving adultry definitely amounts to abuse – Bumiputra Apartheid IS an abuse.

Note that I do not mention the Sultans who are supposed to be the Heads of the Ummah here but who evidently would retain more dignity if Faith and State were separate . . . given the terrible mess ‘on the ground’ a far cry from insular world they live in (no Muslim would ever broach again, the parochialism in malay society is still medieval and thus the vicious cycles of ‘bohsia’ in abuses of all sorts continues without address) mentioning the same would be a disservice in some ways for certain, let the dirt of politics messed with faith be fronted by the above groups instead . . . doubtless Cairo would find that Malaysia is run as if by medieval era tribal minded barbarian warlords via religious codes, NOT educated and NOT civilised people.

Heck that delegation might even give Nik Aziz flak for views on hudud, specifically limb hacking! How about this ‘clean up’ tour of duty Al Azhar University? Tell Malaysian Muslims right at the top levels how Malay Muslims shame themselves with their ill treatment and abuse of the Ummah and even non-Muslims here! Then also tell these fundo-cases that Malaysia has no right to withhold :

Any honest Muslim cannot deny the points just made above. And Ulama though honest to what the Quran might be in their limited intellect or lack of communication outside their own community (much less internationally o understanding of the UNHCR) to understand or apply, render the Islamic faith in Malaysia dishonest and abusive in effect, especially so in a multipolar, multi faith or multi ethnic society that can only be equal and humane. Want to try what some of us have suffered? So please send that Inquisitor’s delegation from Al-Azhar pronto! Al-Azhar Islamic university in Cairo needs to give BOTH Muslims and non-Muslims a hand here in backward 3rd world, barbaric Malaysia! Get over here, hear out the abused and aggrieved, for those who want to go apostate but DARE NOT, for those who are not allowed non-Muslim rights, and tell these fundo-cases off !

No doubt Islam had Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Father of Modern Turkey, the seat of the Ottoman Empire, who attempted to impose the separation of church and state. Atatürk, however, although viewed as a reformist by those from the west, is viewed as a traitor by most Muslim scholars. In fact, people like the PAS President, Abdul Hadi Awang, label Atatürk as an apostate and one of Islam’s greatest traitors.

(Malaysian Digest) – Do not politicise Islam, as it can lead to disunity.

This was the message sent out by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who said Islam should instead be placed at the highest level so that a lot of problems faced by the Muslim community could be overcome.

“We must not politicise the religion, as Islam is not politics.”

“If politics is made to be above Islam, the Muslim community will be confronted with a lot of problems, causing disunity which today is the source of the community’s weaknesses and the enemies of Islam belittling the religion,” he said in his speech at the at the Quran reciting completion and breaking-of-fast at the Tan Sri Ainuddin Wahid Mosque, Taman Universiti in Skudai, here, yesterday.

Najib said the Barisan Nasional administration has always prioritised Islam in its governance of the country, and adhered to the requirements of the religion.

“We developed our administration based on syariah and that is the Islamic requirement for us and among the five things we have done is looking after Islam, and that is why Malaysia is known as an Islamic country.”

“We protect the Islamic faith and character, promote the religion, provide Islamic infrastructure and Islamic law and so on,” he said.

Najib said the government’s success in managing Malaysia well, despite facing numerous challenges, was recognised by other Islamic nations to the extent that Malaysia is now the model for a successful Islamic country.

However, he stressed that the government has never neglected the welfare and interest of Malaysians, as it has extended numerous forms of aid, which are not available to people in other countries.

“Last night, I was in Bachok, Kelantan where I found out that there is even aid for disturbance from wildlife, for instance, you can get aid if you’re bitten by a snake. Where else in the world, a government does this?”

“This is a government which takes care of the overall welfare of the people, where we want an Islamic concept and the same time, we want progress and development.”

“We don’t want Islam to be linked to poverty and weakness but to be linked to strength and empowerment because Allah loves people who are successful,” he said.

******************************************

Here we go again. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is preaching Islam to Malaysians. I doubt, however, the ulama’ (religious scholars) would agree with Najib’s prognosis on Islam — if they are honest ulama’, that is. Either Najib has the wrong impression of Islam or he is indulging in wishful thinking.

To understand the present, we need to go back and look at the origins, the origins of religion, that is. Let us start with Christianity and I am going to refer to Britain for purposes of this discussion.

Britain used to be pagan. In the beginning the druids ruled Britain and the Britons worshiped many gods. 50 years or so before the birth of Christ, the Romans invaded Britain and brought their gods to the island, also paganism. This triggered a struggle between the old English gods and the new Roman gods.

Around 400-500 years later, the Romans left Britain and the Saxons and Franks began to migrate to Britain in hordes, as did the Vikings. They too brought their gods. Invariably, Britain saw 500 years of wars between the many kings, as Britain did not have one king but different kings ruled the different regions (at that time there were more kings and gods than virgins in Britain).

In 313, the Emperor Constantine granted the Christians freedom of worship. Thereafter Christianity began to rapidly spread and it was only a matter of time before it reached Britain. Some say Constantine died a Christian while others say he died a pagan (only he would know).

The Britons and Saxons, however, resisted Christianity and it was not until the Christians took up arms that paganism was defeated and replaced with Christianity. Hence Christianity was spread through the use of force.

Around that time, Islam began to establish itself in the Arabian Peninsular and it too began to spread at the point of a sword, just like Christianity had done over 300 years before that. Hence both Islam and Christianity spread the same way, through conquests and persecution.

Eventually, Christendom saw the separation of church and state. But this did not happen overnight. It took more than 1,000 years for that to happen. Islam, however, although it took the same route as Christianity to spread, did not go the same route of separation of church and state, as Christianity had.

In short, both Islam and Christianity started the same way, by the use of force. However, they did not both end up the same way. Christianity the church ‘split’ into two entities while Islam the adeen remained one entity.

No doubt Islam had Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Father of Modern Turkey, the seat of the Ottoman Empire, who attempted to impose the separation of church and state. Atatürk, however, although viewed as a reformist by those from the west, is viewed as a traitor by most Muslim scholars. In fact, people like the PAS President, Abdul Hadi Awang, label Atatürk as an apostate and one of Islam’s greatest traitors.

The notion of separation of church and state is not an acceptable concept in Islam. And any ‘true’ Muslim would agree with this. To disagree would make you a deviant Muslim or a Muslim who is defying God’s command and who is violating the Qur’an.

As I said, Najib either has the wrong impression of Islam or he is indulging in wishful thinking. Islam has not yet gone the way of Christianity in being able to accept the concept of separation of church and state. Will that time ever come? I don’t know but for sure it is not going to happen in our lifetime — so don’t hold your breath or else you might turn blue.

Now, if you are an honest Muslim, you will acknowledge this fact. To argue otherwise means you are not being honest and are trying to mislead the people. So, Najib, are you an honest person or not? And if you can understand this then you might be able to understand PAS as well.

The ulama’ (religious scholars) are out of touch with LIVING reality and obsessed with the afterlife, they do not understand what politicians understand. Najib’s ‘prognosis’ is not necessarily wrong as this is pplicable to the majority portion of LIVING Muslims, and we do know most Muslims ARE NOT focused on the afterlife like the dedicated Ulama. Now if the Muslim population in general thought like Ulama though, Islamic civilisation would not even need sovereign states or kings but only want to be judged as pure and pious, focusing on the afterlife – this would mean that ALL MUSLIMS by now if they were ‘Ulama minded’ or ‘honest Muslim’ would have forgone most earthly trappings for afterlife instead.

Honesty is knowing that Muslims would be destroyed were they ‘Ulama minded’, Islam is a relgion for the old and the dispassionate, and no honest Muslim would be able to progress in most of the ‘modern world’ otherwise. Malays though are ANIMIST originally, and being born in an animist region of the world, will not be likely to pledge allegiance to the far off Kabaa spiritual colony, thus making political relevance always stronger than religious afterlife obsessed Islam’s ‘honesty’. RPK a traditionalist? Well unless Islam is intended to be ‘Amish’ in scope WITH women living like nuns and men quite insular and living within their own comunities, an honest Muslim will be the picture of stagnation . . .

The notion of separation of church and state is not an acceptable concept in Islam BUT necessary if Muslims are to be able to engage the rest of the world, without being able to separate the two we end up with the suicide belt types or extreme among Taliban with honour killings and what not, RPK must understand that this seperation f Church and State is a DEVELOPMENT in Islam, Hadhari if you will (not Badawi’s Hadhari but hadhari nevertheless), Najib is as astute as those writing articles to elicit responses which will be entered simply to enable a large portion of humanity to get along with everyone else. An honest Muslim cannot deny the points just made above. And Ulama though honest to what the Quran might be, are not considering what politicians and the state have to deal with, thus rendering the word of the Ulama dishonest in effect, especially so in a multipolar multi faith or multi ethnic society.

Good meanderings of thought with a skewed stand are better than no meanderings at all RPK . . . but that an article as above would take aging Malay (former) royalty with all the funds and social networks available and an education at University to produce this half baked sort of thought process is telling (what I leave to the reader to decide) . . . If only Najib were less corrupt and UN Human Rights Charter aware, would abolish the apartheid Bumiputra system, and not be enmired in C4 cases would that second term as PM should be assured and allow BN to win, but it is still not too late to endorse :

Politics is dirt and sullies any and all faiths. the sooner Muslims realise this and not be so lazy as to be unable to differentiate the hegelian dialectic of the 2, Malaysia will be a better place. With PM Najib on this statement, but deplore Najib’s inability to implement the above 3 items. RPK, Najib would be one up on a debate about necessity of seperation of state and faith. Not so ‘no holds barred‘ now eh? Establishment poseur . . . change that outdated thinking, or just stay in England and retire among the pseudointellectuals spouting semi intelligent, if not propaganda filled nonsense as above. Some people are good for the country, some people are not.

But that’s just NOT it; Islam IS NOT politics

Still hate LGBT? Or prepared to withdraw an article or few? The older generation is old ! (and full of selfish and self serving contradications)

ARTICLE 18

Note that currently Malaysia makes illegal possession or set-up of your own satellite dish in Malaysia. A person convicted under Section 239 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 can be fined up to RM100,000 or jailed up to two years, or both. Do the Rakyat really want these laws? To enrich Astro and the colluding MPs’ monopoly? Or does the Rakyat prefer the MPs to make this law redundant so that Malaysians can watch everything that is free world wide? why should we pay anything at all to watch what is free after all? Because the Rakyat did not think before voting, the Rakyat did allowed MPs that will keep these idiot laws in place.Iif 222 MPs decide to scrap Section 239 to ALLOW Satellite dishes, Astro could go out of business, and Malaysian television would become even more redundant *BUT* – the Rakyat could access ALL channels world wide without having to pay a single cent. Do you love the Rakyat? Do you want the Rakyat to vote for you? So help the Rakyat end an unnecessary monopoly.

The owner of this dish definitely would not be able to afford ‘Astro’ fees but because the lucky fellers are not in Malaysia’s collusive monopoly minded law writers grips, they get ALL the channels of the world without the government harrassing them. Vote for MPs who will end Section 239!

Voters demand that your MP accede to ending Section 239 before voting for said MP. If the MP will scrap Section 239 the MP is votable. If that MP does not want to, then said MP has been on the take from Astro and does not want freedom of information which a private satellite dish can give. Also remember the items . . . any MP who can sign a statuary declaration to give :

;would likely win enough seats to become PM. Racists and fundos, crony capitalists and ponzi communications companies won’t like the above but the above is the best way forward for Malaysia. Any MP who refuses to scrap Section 239 is UNVOTABLE. Make private satellite dishes legal and stop enriching monopolistic companies that government allows! This is as bad as Anti-Trust or Anti-Monopoly anywhere else! Illegal and an abuse via profiteering off the Rakyat!

More low cost slum dwellers who get to access more of the world’s channels than any Malaysian ever will UNTIL the term limitless nepotist and racist MPs who refuse to remove Section 239 GTFO of Dewan or AMEND and ABOLISH OFFENDING LAWS! 222 Unvotable MPs seating in Dewan!

Nurul Izzah said Pekema lacked the metrics to proclaim the AP system as beneficial to Bumiputeras. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Putrajaya must do away with the current approved permit (AP) system for imported cars as it only benefited a small, select group of politically-connected Bumiputeras, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers said today.

They pointed out that no area of the Federal Constitution expressly grants to Bumiputeras AP licensing rights, and that such claims were a “complete stretch of the imagination.”

Bumiputera car dealers association Pekema as well as Malay rights lobby Perkasa have demanded that the government maintain Malaysia’s controversial permit system for imported cars, saying that the current system benefited Bumiputera businesses.

Both groups maintain that the privileges under the AP system was a guaranteed Bumiputera constitutional right, and came under the purview of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,

“Pekema is talking [nonsense]. Find me the clause in the Constitution that says cars must have APs. And (that) whatever APs must be for Bumis. It takes a complete stretch of the imagination to interpret any clause on the special position of Malays to mean constitutionally guaranteed AP privileges,” DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua told The Malaysian Insider.

Pua said that associations such as Pekema were only speaking for themselves in wanting to maintain the “rent-seeking” practices of the AP system.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP added that the AP system served no other purpose than to make its beneficiaries “instant millionaires.”

Pua said Article 153 was being twisted to extend to APs.
According to Pua, the onus was on the government to ensure that APs were put on open tender so that only genuine and qualified business operators would secure the licences to import cars, instead of “middlemen seeking instant profits.”

“The taxpayers loses more than a billion ringgit a year as a result of the giving away of APs to selected cronies instead of being sold via auction to all businesses or interested parties.”

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar advised Pekema to demand from the government a disclosure of the recipients of APs since the programme’s inception before extolling its success.

“Without such data, how would we ascertain its usefulness for the majority of Bumiputeras?

“As it is, the majority of the recipients are ‘Umnoputras’ — and they are gaining profit at the expense of the country’s wealth,” she told The Malaysian Insider.

The Lembah Pantai MP said PR’s position was for a gradual “phasing out” of the AP system, and to assist poor Malays and Bumiputeras through a targeted subsidy programme as well as overall improvement on “education/employment and social [progress] opportunities.”

Pekema and Perkasa have demanded that the government prioritise Bumiputera interests before conforming to set international trade agreements such as the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta).

Pekema president Datuk Zainuddin Abd Rahman said on Monday that the association is seeking royal intervention to block the Najib administration’s plans to phase out the AP system for imported cars by 2015.

“The only ones who can cancel the AP are the Agong and the Malay Rulers, so it cannot be cancelled,” said Zainuddin.

“The AP is included as part of permits, permits under Article 153 of the Constitution, which guarantees Malay and Bumiputera rights along with reserve land, scholarships, government posts.”

He said that the AP system was the “most successful” system for Bumiputeras, touting it as one of the main accomplishments of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Oh great, family bloc Nurul is back, but at least on something meaningful. (lets hope PAS has not gotten all soft on Tolls, the Prophet would definitely not have tolerated Tolls while he wandered the deserts in the past, there were no cars, but beasts of burden and only highway robbers and bandits would demand cash for merely travelling). How about addressing the 2 systems of citizenship for equality Nurul? AP is more tolerable than APARTHEID !

ARTICLE 2

See newspaper clipping . . .

Nepotism being addressed? Or just a feel good lie to defuse voter anger toward the horribly nepotistic and closed to 'outsiders' DAP political party?

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

One lynchpin less out of a score of family blocs is no victory but worthy of mention. 1 out of 222 MPs less a family bloc is good news anyday – Lim Guan Eng’s (that parachute nepotistsm beneficiary ‘CM of Penang’ character who doesn’t condemn apartheid for what apartheid is . . . ) wife may not run for GE13. Lets see if this is another false flag) much like the failed declaration of MP assets, the failed quorums on supposedly free EXCO Local Council Elections (we taxpayers are paying the salaries of the unvoted EXCOs as of now by the way) and other abuses of power by DAP.

The Penang Chief Minister has been staying in a rented bungalow – all paid for by taxpayers – claiming that the official residence Seri Teratai is termite infested and leaking.

But that was three years ago when he first moved in after being appointed as the Chief Minister.

He had then told the people that it would only be on a temporary basis and that he would move back once the renovations and repairs were carried out. Well, this portal would like to remind the DAP zombies that he has lied.

He is still staying in the same rented bungalow. All paid for by taxpayers! Is it because all the expenses-paid bungalow is more comfortable than the official residence?

So far, he has avoided questions about his residence, evading questions about the expenses.

The bungalow at affluent Pinhorn Road at the Green Lane area, which the CM is staying, is worth RM2.5million and that was the valuation in 2009.

By now, it’s probably worth over RM3million, so do your maths and figure out how much the rentals would run to!

Stop The Lies has been informed that the renovation work was carried out in February 2009 which cost RM1.5million. It is surprising that the owner would spend so much to renovate the bungalow.

Guan Eng moved out from the official residence in Macalister Road in June 2009 when the renovations were in full progress, promising to move back but we all know how often DAP leaders lied. It’s already three years and our dear leader hasn’t move back.

We are told the reason why Guan Eng has refused to move back is because the bungalow belongs to a middle-aged woman from Malacca, who is said to be a crony of Betty Chew, the wife of the CM.

The RM8,000 monthly rental is paid for by the rakyat and that excludes his electricity, water and Astro bills!

Guan Eng should explain to the people why is he still staying in the bungalow after three years. How long must the people pay for his luxury?

We also know that his “fly economy class” image is a stunt. He flies economy class between Penang and Kuala Lumpur but he is not telling the DAP zombies that he prefers First Class when he goes overseas!

He also travels to Hong Kong monthly, according to our records, supposedly to meet businessmen! To collect what????

He has claimed he is “upgraded” by MAS! Come on, if he often travel Economy Class as he claims, he wouldn’t be able to chalk up enough points to be upgraded to business class.

Stop bullshitting!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

So imagine the outcry for suggesting 750K in funeral funds by LGE for LGE, by asking the BN (PR’s supposed sworn enemies) to ratify the 750K funeral bill. How greedy can LGE get?

ARTICLE 4

Loose Lips Sink Ships – Posted on April 13, 2012 by editor

LGE should learn to do this more often

There is a saying “loose lips sink ships”. Perhaps Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should better start being acquainted with the phrase.

The idiom definition for the phrase says to have loose lips means to have a big mouth, susceptible to talking about everything and everyone.

Sinking ships refers to anything from small acquaintances to long and hearty relationships (with friends or a significant other). So when one says loose lips sink ships, one is basically saying if you can’t shut up, you are going to end hurting people, usually psychologically or emotionally.

And that was exactly what has happened when Guan Eng threatened to stop allocations for schools which subscribe to Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.

This is a serious remark, coming from the head of the state, and it is no joke or laughing matter to utter those words and then claim either you have been misquoted or that it was made in jest.

Guan Eng must remind himself that he is no longer the Opposition head when he makes remarks or comments on issues as he is now the Chief Minister.

After the March 2008 general election, he is still caught in a “transitional” problem of adjusting himself to be the administrator of a state and no longer a mere leader of a political party.

The DAP secretary-general was quoted by Sin Chew Daily as saying that schools in Penang should not continue subscribing the two Malay dailies, otherwise the state government would stop allocating funds to them.

He made the remark when speaking to 84 representatives from various schools.

He was quoted as saying “Schools must not subscribe to Utusan Malaysia. If they insist on doing so, there will be no allocation for you all next year.”

“I am serious. Do not subscribe to Utusan and Berita Harian,” he was quoted as saying.

It is very obvious that Guan Eng’s remarks tantamount to threatening the schools concerned.

The threats are uncalled for. It smacks of racism and high handedness. It is unbecoming as a Chief Minister to hurl threats to schools who subscribes to the two newspapers of their choice.

Just because he is the Chief Minister, he can’t go around imposing his likes and dislikes onto others.

Perhaps he should sponsor copies of other Malays newspapers he deemed fit rather than to threaten schools into submitting to his request.

If he has any issues with the two newspapers, he should fight his own battle, and not get schools involved. This is getting a bit way too far.

He should leave politics within the perimeters of the political front and not politicize issues and bringing it to the doorsteps of the education arena.

Politics should be set aside for the larger interest of education and it should not be allowed to fester within the educational premises.

Guan Eng’s threats run contrary to the freedom of speech as advocated by the Opposition.

In disbursing government allocation, Guan Eng should be sincere about it and not use it to force the political ideologies on schools.

It is worse still and unacceptable when he threatens schools into submitting to his wishes and fancies.

Disbursing of funds should be carried out in all sincerity without imposing conditions or using strong arm tactics.

Guan Eng, it is no joke or laughing matter when you open your mouth and say that you would stop allocation to schools.

Buck up and grow up.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The CM of supposedly Chinese Penang has only 1 thing to do. End Apartheid. Not host dinners, fly around to Australia and prevent would be politicians from entering DAP or local politics because they’ve got a nepotism and shameless term limitless family bloc Xian fundo b.s. thing going on there. Detestable little men tend to not use nepotism granted CM’s mandates to end APARTHEID, but do ask for 750K funerals from their sworn enemies who put their fathers into Kamunting instead are unprincipled and shamelessly thick skinned! They had half a mind to kill these 2 nepotistic term limitless DAP 4th world style ‘family-business style politicians’, and now they are in the Dewan asking for 750K funeral funds which the taxpayer paid? How 2-faced can a politician get? How can anyone who thinks this way be trusted? And then look at the massive failures to keep campaign promises that helped them win. All forgotten? Go flying around on taxpayers fund now while disregarding Bumi-Apartheid?

ARTICLE 5

An open letter to our young undergrads — Tay Tian Yan – April 18, 2012

APRIL 18 — Dear undergrads,

I saw you occupy Dataran Merdeka and could feel your high-spirited youthfulness.

I have no objection to your “occupy” campaign. From Wall Street to Jalan Sultan, indeed young people should step out of their classrooms to taste the sunshine and rain.

It doesn’t have to be that tough, after all. With an iPhone or iPad in your hands, you could stay in touch on Twitter or Facebook, sharing with your followers or friends the amazing nasi kandar you’ve savoured just across the street from Dataran Merdeka or perhaps a photo you snapped with some curious tourists.

So, I will never worry that you would get bored or exhausted at the Dataran Merdeka.

But I just wonder what the real significance of occupying the Dataran is.

I did not hear any anti-Lynas or anti-corruption slogans, or anything against UiTM’s rejection of non-Bumiputera students nor about the pathetic academic standards of our universities today.

All you wanted is free tertiary education and the writing off of PTPTN arrears.

I even saw a “PTPTN, the big loan shark” placard hoisted under the sultry sun over the Dataran.

I couldn’t help but laugh: All that you want is just so simple.

But have you ever thought about this: If everything is free of charge, where does the money come from? And if you can default on your loans, who would extend the loans to you?

Since you are all university students, I assume you have learned some economics before, right? Don’t you remember there is something called “costing” in economics? For anything offered free of charge to you, someone else have to foot the bill.

Your lecturer could have told you, and economics guru Milton Friedman most definitely said it before, that nothing comes free under the sun.

And this costing concept applies very well to all of you.

Tuition fees at the country’s government universities have been heavily subsidised and are among the cheapest in this world.

Your RM7,000 to RM8,000 annual tuition fees are just about a third of private college tuition fees here, a fifth of those in Australia’s public universities, one-sixth of America’s, and one-eighth of Britain’s.

Your parents should take delight in the fact that some other people are helping them pay the tuition fees so that they can keep their retirement funds largely intact.

What I am trying to say is that the cheap tuition fees are most definitely not a Godsend. The government has to dig into taxpayers’ pockets to subsidise your education, including mine.

If you come from a poor family, sure enough, I am more than willing to contribute my part to help. But there are so many of you who come from well-to-do families and yet enjoy the heavily slashed tuition fees.

Not to mention the PTPTN loans, where our government has been excessively generous by offering full loans at a mere one per cent interest rate. (If this is what you call loan shark, I would love to take a loan from you).

Given the fact that Bank Negara’s overnight lending rate is three per cent, the remaining two per cent (could be a lot more if we factor in the inflation) has to be sourced from somewhere (the government? not really, but the generously taxed uncles and aunties).

I don’t mind contributing that two per cent. I see it as my national obligation. But you refuse to pay up when you graduate from school someday in the future, and the PTPTN cannot just close shop this way. So, we taxpayers are once again come under the axe.

You are actually well aware that university education is never free, even in cash-rich Western countries. Many students there have to take up part-time jobs or bank loans before they can attend their classes.

You don’t need a part-time job or a bank loan to finance your studies here. You don’t even need to step into the lecture hall; just sit at the Dataran to protest against “I don’t know what”!

Perhaps the Dataran should be occupied by the uncles and aunties who subsidise your studies. We have a whole lot more valid reasons to occupy the square. — mysinchew.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Dear me Tay Tian. Degrees ARE free, especially those not in ‘technical fields’. ALL degrees numbering scores to hundreds from Sociology type degrees, all languages and various paperwork based fields DO NOT NEED a single cent to teach or learn (though a minimum wage from government would be good). See the Democracy Tree in Malaysia? See the Bodhi Tree where Buddha gained enlightenment and gave sermons (no gold plated statues or donation boxes for ‘building temples’ there, just alms bowls)? Even the quasi fundo Luddites taking classes on ‘Animal Husbandry’ in their barns could subsume the Veterinary degree which costs a few 100Ks – a child on the right farm, could deliver or treat any animal just as well . . . without spending a cent on education. ALL EDUCATION of the non-technical sort (i.e. needing advanced equipment) is FREE. So don’t pretend MOST education costs anything – especially contractors and suppliers and manufacturers dependent on HANDOUTS of taxpayer monies for their living at extremely inflated prices that feed a large number of middlemen (shame on you contractors and law writers that cause parasitic loopholes in laws that are never amended).

How costly can holding a class under a tree or perhaps a scenic spot be now? NOTHING AT ALL. Maybe hundreds of people could be taught in a single session, to get a ‘degree’ because of microphones which cost very little. Even MEDICINE could be taught in such places. Do we need to pay anything for unneeded buildings? The odd plaque or monument? The security guards and gardeners and drivers ON taxpayer paid salaries? Uniforms? The free transport AND meal subsidies which AGAIN taxpayers have to pay? I’d rather have no building and free degree than a building and a degree that costs half a lifetime of work to return – ON INTEREST to boot . . .

**THAT METHOD OF EDUCATION IS NOT WEALTH CREATION, THAT IS WEALTH RE-DISTRIBUTION IN THE WRONG MANNER THAT ENRICHES SOME CITIZENS OVER OTHERS!!!**

Admit the fact that a degree is a mere toll booth or protection fee to *be allowed to work* in an cubicle or office, and stop being aq shill for government collusion to defraud the citizens from what should be free. All a government needs to do is to assign empty land, grow some shady trees, recognize the lecturer FOR FREE, then register all students who attend the class. Or hold those classes in the car park during work hours . . . Work place conditions will be entirely unrelated anyway so the degree doesn’t matter, what the lecturers teach matters more – and we do not need super-duper-POOPER scale salaries to glorify Senior Lecturers, ‘Deans’ and all manner of Chancellor Emeritus hierarcies *AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE* WITH fat pensions on the taxpayers backs AGAIN. Voters, if you are not working in government, make sure you vote for an MP who at least is even able to understand the above or YOUR tax monies will enrich some glorified crony or relative who will be promoted due to nepotism, no matter how distant the relation.

The whole point of Uni or school is to SOCIALIZE the people into being able to work in close quarters and in a team. NOTHING else. Skills can be LEARNT even by children. Want to see a 7 year old mechanic? Want to see a 10 year old surgeon? 5 year old pharmacy dispenser? These ‘jobs’ do not need ‘degrees’. These skills are FREE to learn.

A degree does not cost the price of 1-10 units of low cost housing. Heck better rather buy a handful of these units and become a slumlord or some land estate owner that produces REAL GOODS, than enrich the government’s crony contractors to *validate* with a piece of paper called a degree in a jobs market (after getting paid to build useless – and not necessarily stable – buildings on the taxpayer’s funds) as biased and uncertain as this when master slave mentality typifies employer employee relations. Call this civilisation?

We call this creating a financial trap to enrich the bankers WITH so-called ‘education’ as bait. Not a cent or work hour for the plutocracy. And redistribute the wealth or the extreme plutocrats or extreme quantum landowners. We do not need half a lifetime to pay for a degree, and another half to pay for a glorified pigeoncoop condo or rabbit-hutch terrace, or a ‘duplex’ (half -a-house) which leaves the next generation in another cycle where inflation lowers both earnings and quality of life to the social immobility and inflation nations they call modern living that ultimately only enriches the banking cartels and IMF world bank type Freemason cultists or other Fundo faithers. Tay Tian wants to dampen high-spirited youthfulness more like, by protecting the failure of an ‘establishment’, in this case the educational profiteering establishment.

One of the protesters with debt-condemning placard at the anti-PTPTN protests. Tertiary education is a human right and should be free. MPs, do not betray our youth to the banksters and Ministry debt slave machines, or we will vote you out by GE13!

Voters, in this sort of case, make sure that your MP candidate or incumbent will make education free. Ask and find out if your MP wants to make education free. Otherwise no votes for that MP. If there is no MP that will do this, run for election instead. Vote wisely young voters (and also don’t over populate – 2.1 is best for maintenance without increasing population density . . . ) :

BN Inequality and corruption forever.
PR = Chance at equality but much Nepotism.
3rd Force = Very likely Equality (there is nothing for 3rd Force to run on except Equality and anti-Nepotism).

BN, don’t be a dingus use that mandate and end the Apartheid of Bumiputera . . . also if peaceful Tibetans burn themselves to protest apartheid, guess what warlike Mongols do to to people who blow up their kin – PM Najib needs that Pmship more than the Rakyat does IMHO, so how about making Malaysia a first world, UNHCR compliant nation that best applies the tenets of Islam Surah An Nisa 4:75 at least ( . . . and saving Najib who will be vulnerable without the time and protection of a PMship . . . )?

Once again, America’s leading political dynasties are holding high the family standard in an election year.

In Massachusetts, another Kennedy is racing toward Congress. This time, it’s Democrat Joseph P. Kennedy III, the grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, hoping to fill the vacancy of retiring Representative Barney Frank.

“I’m very proud of my family’s record of public service to the Commonwealth and the country,” the young Kennedy has said. I don’t doubt his desire for service, but he’s also trading on the family name — and fundraising and other powers and privileges that go with it. That’s not what the Founders envisioned for the new republic.

Meanwhile, in Texas and Florida, the Bushes are using their endorsement clout in an attempt to wrap up the messy Republican primary. It’s time for “the party to get behind” Mitt Romney, former president George H.W. Bush says.

His wife, Barbara — who referred to her son George W. as “the chosen one” before he even became president — has recorded a robocall for Romney’s campaign. Jeb Bush, another son and a former governor of Florida, has also endorsed Romney. (A reasonable question: If Romney loses to Obama, will Jeb run in 2016? It’s a job he has said he has wanted since he was a kid.)

The US has seen its share of political families: the Adamses, at the beginning, and in modern times, the Browns of California; the Cuomos of New York; the Daleys of Chicago; Ron Paul and his son Rand, now a US senator from Kentucky; not to mention Romney and his late governor father, George.

Sense of entitlement

But over the past half century, no two families have been as powerful as the Bushes and Kennedys. They share deep New England roots and a seeming sense of entitlement to the White House.

The Kennedy taste for dynastic prerogative has at times been shameless. Senator Robert Kennedy challenged a sitting president of his own party and tried to seize the presidential nomination — seeking to recapture his brother John’s lost legacy and rekindle the myth of Camelot. (Parallels can be drawn with the younger Bush president in attempting to finish off his father’s war with Saddam Hussain’s Iraq.)

Even after the Kennedys suffered two assassinations, the family’s ambition continued to soar. Brother Edward tried (and failed) to unseat his party’s president, Democrat Jimmy Carter. So strong was the family’s belief that the White House belonged to them, that a defeated Teddy petulantly refused to shake hands with Carter at the 1980 Democratic convention.

The youngest Kennedy brother never made it to the Oval Office, but he helped Barack Obama get there, acting as kingmaker along with his niece Caroline, as they pointedly favoured Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton (from a would-be dynasty).

This practice of hereditary ambition and home-grown royalty betrays a basic premise of the American Revolution, “that all men are created equal.”

Andrew Jackson’s defeat of incumbent John Quincy Adams swept away much of Americans earlier faith in ruling families, and successive waves of immigrants made a mockery of it.

The Europeans spent centuries, sometimes knee-deep in blood, eliminating czars and kings. Yet in the past 50 years, America has had to ride out allegations of rape, manslaughter, drug abuse, infidelity, and drunkenness in its ‘royal families’, overlooking all this on the medieval assumption that those with better bloodlines are somehow beyond reproach or the law.

And, like kings of old, today’s royals seek to maintain position and power by plying supporters, friends, and family with gifts, whether they be tax breaks or cabinet posts.

At their peril, they forget that stability in any kingdom involved a delicate balance between the crown and nobility, and the people.

The republic could again use the same disdain for pretence employed by an earlier patriot who once said he wished that “wadding of the cannon fired to salute President [John] Adams would hit him in the seat of the pants.”

The progeny of political families will likely ever seek political power — and the public may well respond with a certain star-struck awe and hope for favourable treatment. But in this country, we ought to judge a candidate on merit. That’s what we were raised on.

— Christian Science Monitor

Walter Rodgers is a former senior international correspondent for CNN.

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Unlike some so-called cults of personality POSING as good Christians under the auspices of the Church, this is a truly good Christian response that does not embrace nepotism and extremist Christian attitudes. Good article by Christian Science Monitor that all faiths (more so Christian denominations) could do to learn from.

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) — Icelanders who pelted parliament with rocks in 2009 demanding their leaders and bankers answer for the country’s economic and financial collapse are reaping the benefits of their anger.

Since the end of 2008, the island’s banks have forgiven loans equivalent to 13 percent of gross domestic product, easing the debt burdens of more than a quarter of the population, according to a report published this month by the Icelandic Financial Services Association.

“You could safely say that Iceland holds the world record in household debt relief,” said Lars Christensen, chief emerging markets economist at Danske Bank A/S in Copenhagen. “Iceland followed the textbook example of what is required in a crisis. Any economist would agree with that.”

The island’s steps to resurrect itself since 2008, when its banks defaulted on $85 billion, are proving effective. Iceland’s economy will this year outgrow the euro area and the developed world on average, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates. It costs about the same to insure against an Icelandic default as it does to guard against a credit event in Belgium. Most polls now show Icelanders don’t want to join the European Union, where the debt crisis is in its third year.

The island’s households were helped by an agreement between the government and the banks, which are still partly controlled by the state, to forgive debt exceeding 110 percent of home values. On top of that, a Supreme Court ruling in June 2010 found loans indexed to foreign currencies were illegal, meaning households no longer need to cover krona losses.

Crisis Lessons

“The lesson to be learned from Iceland’s crisis is that if other countries think it’s necessary to write down debts, they should look at how successful the 110 percent agreement was here,” said Thorolfur Matthiasson, an economics professor at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, in an interview. “It’s the broadest agreement that’s been undertaken.”

Without the relief, homeowners would have buckled under the weight of their loans after the ratio of debt to incomes surged to 240 percent in 2008, Matthiasson said.

Iceland’s $13 billion economy, which shrank 6.7 percent in 2009, grew 2.9 percent last year and will expand 2.4 percent this year and next, the Paris-based OECD estimates. The euro area will grow 0.2 percent this year and the OECD area will expand 1.6 percent, according to November estimates.

Housing, measured as a subcomponent in the consumer price index, is now only about 3 percent below values in September 2008, just before the collapse. Fitch Ratings last week raised Iceland to investment grade, with a stable outlook, and said the island’s “unorthodox crisis policy response has succeeded.”

People Vs Markets

Iceland’s approach to dealing with the meltdown has put the needs of its population ahead of the markets at every turn.

Once it became clear back in October 2008 that the island’s banks were beyond saving, the government stepped in, ring-fenced the domestic accounts, and left international creditors in the lurch. The central bank imposed capital controls to halt the ensuing sell-off of the krona and new state-controlled banks were created from the remnants of the lenders that failed.

Activists say the banks should go even further in their debt relief. Andrea J. Olafsdottir, chairman of the Icelandic Homes Coalition, said she doubts the numbers provided by the banks are reliable.

“There are indications that some of the financial institutions in question haven’t lost a penny with the measures that they’ve undertaken,” she said.

Fresh Demands

According to Kristjan Kristjansson, a spokesman for Landsbankinn hf, the amount written off by the banks is probably larger than the 196.4 billion kronur ($1.6 billion) that the Financial Services Association estimates, since that figure only includes debt relief required by the courts or the government.

“There are still a lot of people facing difficulties; at the same time there are a lot of people doing fine,” Kristjansson said. “It’s nearly impossible to say when enough is enough; alongside every measure that is taken, there are fresh demands for further action.”

As a precursor to the global Occupy Wall Street movement and austerity protests across Europe, Icelanders took to the streets after the economic collapse in 2008. Protests escalated in early 2009, forcing police to use teargas to disperse crowds throwing rocks at parliament and the offices of then Prime Minister Geir Haarde. Parliament is still deciding whether to press ahead with an indictment that was brought against him in September 2009 for his role in the crisis.

A new coalition, led by Social Democrat Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, was voted into office in early 2009. The authorities are now investigating most of the main protagonists of the banking meltdown.

Legal Aftermath

Iceland’s special prosecutor has said it may indict as many as 90 people, while more than 200, including the former chief executives at the three biggest banks, face criminal charges.

Larus Welding, the former CEO of Glitnir Bank hf, once Iceland’s second biggest, was indicted in December for granting illegal loans and is now waiting to stand trial. The former CEO of Landsbanki Islands hf, Sigurjon Arnason, has endured stints of solitary confinement as his criminal investigation continues.

That compares with the U.S., where no top bank executives have faced criminal prosecution for their roles in the subprime mortgage meltdown. The Securities and Exchange Commission said last year it had sanctioned 39 senior officers for conduct related to the housing market meltdown.

The U.S. subprime crisis sent home prices plunging 33 percent from a 2006 peak. While households there don’t face the same degree of debt relief as that pushed through in Iceland, President Barack Obama this month proposed plans to expand loan modifications, including some principal reductions.

According to Christensen at Danske Bank, “the bottom line is that if households are insolvent, then the banks just have to go along with it, regardless of the interests of the banks.”

–Editors: Jonas Bergman, Tasneem Brogger.

To contact the reporter on this story: Omar R. Valdimarsson in Reykjavik valdimarsson@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jonas Bergman at jbergman@bloomberg.net

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Hundreds more bankers are worth multimillions or even billions. Confiscate their wealth, leave them with a few million and every citizen gets their home back, Iceland becomes debt free. End of story. the ‘enemy (economic fifth columnists sabotaging and selling the nation to IMF by being in government in some cases) bankers’ who insist on retaining wealth can claim refugee status at the UN if they don’t like the ruling. Bravo Iceland!

Coca-Cola has come up with a very innovative and attention-grabbing publicity stunt in Singapore – a vending machine which gives out free cans of Coke in return for hugs.

The ‘hug me’ machine is part of the company’s ‘Open Happiness’ campaign designed to target young people in a gesture-based marketing stunt, which is currently being tested out in Singapore.

Students at the National University of Singapore were surprised to find that the soft drinks giant had installed the vending machine on campus overnight.

But instead of the drinks brand’s logo, the words ‘Hug Me’ are emblazoned across its iconic red-and-white logo.

Instead of paying money, customers have to squeeze the sides of the drinks machine to receive a free can of Coke.

Public displays of affection are uncommon and have long been discouraged in Singapore, but are on the rise amongst young people.

The move is part of a campaign created by advertising firm Ogilvy ‘n’ Mather, and is ntended to position the brand as a non-threatening ally to demonstrating youth.

In a statement as part of the company’s Open Happiness campaign, Leonardo O’Grady, Coke’s Asia Pacific Director for Sparkling ‘n’ Activation Platforms, said that through the campaign the company wanted to spread some happiness.

“Happiness is contagious. The Coca Cola Hug Machine is a simple idea to spread some happiness,” the Daily Mail quoted O’Grady as saying.

“Our strategy is to deliver doses of happiness in an unexpected, innovative way to engage not only the people present, but the audience at large,” O’Grady said.

Marketing gurus behind the innovative concept hope that it will encourage consumers to ‘bring positivity, optimism and fun into their lives’ and to ‘open a Coke and share a little happiness’.

The machines have been such a success that there are plans to roll them out across Asia.

“The reaction was amazing – at one point we had four to five people hugging the machine at the same time as well as each other! In fact, there was a long line of people looking to give hugs,” O’Grady added.

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This is even worse but cleverer in some ways. Any person has ethnicity and gender so what more neutral than a machine eh? No gender, no race, no facial look to prefer (we can though identify scum from a look at times . . . ) or hate as well. BUT STILL same method. Singaporeans are the most Orwellian lot ever. meanwhile the Lee Dynasty gets to ‘lead’ and have term limitless nepotistic family blocs in government. Strawman AGAIN and when politicians resort to the inanimate to cheat the people, while retaining bad laws and making the world an increasingly difficult place to live in, we know the vicious dictatorship loving creeps are entirely out of touch with the people. Combined with neurotech and other methods of mind monitoring they have now, we are already finished unless we vote for a government that is not comprised of cronies, plutocrats and nepotists. This is neo-feudalism, especially when family blocs and family political dynasties occur.

Search on for ‘England’s biggest fan’ to travel the country, in a campervan – 04 April 2012 7:13 PM – EnglandfanCORBIS

Once upon a time, if a destination wanted to announce itself as the sort of place where you would really wish to spend some of your hard-earned holiday allowance, it would pay for a colossal billboard, slap a lovely colourful picture on it, and hope for the best.

But three years ago, the game changed when the Queensland tourism department decided to do things somewhat differently. Rather than design an advert showing a beach and a pretty girl, it offered up ‘the best job in the world’ – a year-long position as ‘caretaker’ of Hamilton Island, in the Whitsunday archipelago of eastern Australia.

All the successful candidate had to do was hang out, grab a suntan, and write a blog about their experiences. Cue a near-endless torrent of applications from hopeful types, and a self-promotional coup before the winner had even set foot Down Under.

Now something similar is happening again. Except that, this time, the venue is not a Pacific Ocean beach – and you have to be able to handle a campervan.

In short, VisitEngland is looking for someone suitably enthusiastic – ‘England’s biggest fan’, to quote their exact words – to spend 70 days driving the country in the build-up to the Olympics while writing a daily update on what they find on the way.

The itinerary will follow in the flame-steps of the Olympic Torch Relay as it cuts a swathe through the country during the pre-Games months of May, June and July.

Presumably, VisitEngland have weighed up the possibility of the search for ‘England’s biggest fan’ resulting in a large fellow with a bulldog and a grainy tattoo of Wayne Rooney on his back – and decided that such a person-hunt is still worth the effort.

The chosen wanderer will have their expenses paid as they trawl the country for titbits. Interested parties must be over 21, and should send 100 words on their favourite part of England, along with a photo, to http://www.visitengland.com/faninavan, by April 9th.

The anointed one will be selected by May 8th, ready to hit the road on May 14th.

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Soul harvesting time! Out of a potential 77,777 fifth columnists (one can say they seserve to be treated this way, but being a product of their environment and being the more powerful party, the onus is on the English to not behave in this manner to take advantage of people instead of educating them AFTER subverting them via neurolinguistics and other siubliminal symbolic languages etc..) among camper van owners, only 1 will win. 77,776 minds worth of effort, hope and consideration will be harvested when 77,776 mind’s worth of effort, hope and disappointment occur. This amounts to a very cynical holiday and inconsiderate promotion stint that will only muddy England’s tourist ‘energy’. Would be better to honestly get England’s 5 star hotels to offer 10 free rooms to 10 people who are declared blue collar workers and be done with the promotion. Not a moment’s thought or time for this lot or sort of promotional method. Who knows the ‘winner’ has already been selected so that the ‘hope energy’ can be collected for use in some nefarious reality bending intention! One does not even need to study Freemasonry to figure this out. Just look at that atrocious language! Anointed one? Very not *like* (both the noun and adjective)!

If you’re a dude with a red Mohawk who recently got lucky at a Motörhead/Megadeth concert in the bathroom at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago — or if you know a dude who matches such a description — you totally need to keep checking the Missed Connections section on Craigslist. The woman with whom you had an encounter has something that was left behind.

“Did we hook up at the Megadeth/Motorhead concert? – w4m – 28 (Aragon Ballroom),” reads the anonymous post that was live through Thursday:

The poster then goes on to describe in detail the passionate encounter — the NSFW reproduction you can find here via the Fuse website, which initially spotted the post. Suffice it to say, the couple did not qualify to post their encounter on the Where Did You Wear It? – Planned Parenthood’s Foursquare-of-condom-use website. So …

Anyway I’m pregnant. It’s yours. contact me if you want to be part of your child’s life.

Rather than judging this young woman — and you know you are, jerk — let’s help her out. Consider the near impossible odds of the Craigslist Missed Connections for reconnecting with any random encounter.

Take you, for example. The hottie you stared at a little too long at Starbucks this morning is not looking for you. Of that you can be 99. 9 percent sure.

What’s more, according to those same statistics I totally made up just now, if he or she is posting about you on Craigslist — the creep who stared at him or her a little too long at Starbucks this morning — it’s not in your city’s “Missed Connections” section. The hottie is doing it somewhere in the community or discussion forums in a post tagged FML, the NSFW acronym used by texting teens with obtuse parents and Craigslisters bemoaning their unfornatuate — or in your case, creepy — life circumstances in the community and forums sections of the online classifieds site.

If we take blue hair/silver tube top at her word — because of course, nobody ever lies on Craigslist— she isn’t a creepy stalker, but a future mom looking out for her impending child. Like everyone else these days, she’s using social media of a sort to get things done. So spread the world so she never has to have this discussion with her young head banger: “It’s not that your daddy didn’t have a Facebook account, I just don’t know his name …”

Hat tip to @JediJon

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.

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Do not respond. This sort of article is to ferret out the real party goers even fake some ‘rape charges’. Even as some party girls (some married but posing as unmarried) are little more than fakes and gold diggers, not here for the organic fun but some manipulative agenda like addicting people with synthetic drugs so their dealer boyfriends (or husbands) can get richer. Protect the sanctity of the basis of reality – randomness. Also this action will doubtless be studied for casual links to regulate society and reality. An orphan or million more could well be the way Orwellian society can be prevented. The choices made here will doubtless be paid for or accrue wealth. Let go you sick agenda poseurs fronting for fundo values, or try to trap further – we’re beginning to see now why random slayings occur . . . to rid the world of sick minded individuals brainwashed by Orwellian agenda peddlars, in the world of gross matter. Meanwhile do partake and enjoy but consider the above for preservation of this plane. The cynical thing of course could be a FBI brainwashed person who will be ASSIGNED some newborn dumped in a hospital ‘baby chute’ intent on feretting out jocks and studs who do fuck for fun while concerts occur and REAL fans flashing whatever. The militant feminists who throw about ‘chilling’ effect emasculating language are the one’s to watch. The policy they write and the advocacy of emasculation of males at every turn is a form of insanity.

Orwellian society is here, so careful of such articles and people who write such articles and their associates and families. V!

ARTICLE 6

Say what you will about Hollywood’s lack of originality, but don’t you think the younger generation deserves a big-time introduction to The Three Stooges? “Dumb & Dumber” (1994) writers/directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly certainly believe so, and they’ve worked hard for the last 14 years to finally see that happen, as “The Three Stooges” opens wide this Friday the 13th. The Farrelly’s created this film as a tribute to their heroes, with the actors not so much acting as mimicking the original Stooges while terrorizing the modern world. We all know the Stooges will engage in plenty of nyuk nyuk nyuking, but here are five fun facts about the film you may not know.
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Do a CGI version using the ACTUAL actors from the old films. They have the technology, and the 3 stooges are a classic that no existing ‘stars’ with that sort of immense wealth can properly depict. Alternatively, hold a lookalikes contest and make sure the actors are serious about being the new face of ‘slapstick’, meaning they best need to be humorous people in real life rather than ambitious careerists whp expect MILLIONS and to act in decades’ worth of films after this.

One off film types from th 99% would be perfect. The 1% actors can’t play fools, the fooling will be on the audience instead and the audience of today are no fools. Want to do a film about fools? Get REAL organic fools (that are smart enough to act). Maybe career clowns at very least who do like being the source of slapstick based laughter. Organic actors, not the plastic plutocrat chameleons, and of course another 1%ter gets to be modestly wealthy instead of the extrem wealth by actors who end up being chameleons who cannot set a role model for REAL society. These actors just teach duplicity . . . and are milking every last bit of ‘feel good factor’ accrued by these ‘old school method casting’ selected ORGANIC actors.

ARTICLE 7

How the US uses sexual humiliation as a political tool to control the masses

Believe me, you don’t want the state having the power to strip your clothes off. And yet, it’s exactly what is happening – Naomi Wolf – guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 April 2012 15.50 BST

Bagram airbase was used by the US to detain its ‘high-value’ targets during the ‘war on terror’ and is still Afghanistan’s main military prison. Photograph: Dar Yasin/AP

The discussion continues today at 12pm ET (5pm UK time) when Naomi Wolf takes your questions about her column. Join us for an hour long live chat about the supreme court, strip searches and sexual humiliation.

In a five-four ruling this week, the supreme court decided that anyone can be strip-searched upon arrest for any offense, however minor, at any time. This horror show ruling joins two recent horror show laws: the NDAA, which lets anyone be arrested forever at any time, and HR 347, the “trespass bill”, which gives you a 10-year sentence for protesting anywhere near someone with secret service protection. These criminalizations of being human follow, of course, the mini-uprising of the Occupy movement.

Is American strip-searching benign? The man who had brought the initial suit, Albert Florence, described having been told to “turn around. Squat and cough. Spread your cheeks.” He said he felt humiliated: “It made me feel like less of a man.”

In surreal reasoning, justice Anthony Kennedy explained that this ruling is necessary because the 9/11 bomber could have been stopped for speeding. How would strip searching him have prevented the attack? Did justice Kennedy imagine that plans to blow up the twin towers had been concealed in a body cavity? In still more bizarre non-logic, his and the other justices’ decision rests on concerns about weapons and contraband in prison systems. But people under arrest – that is, who are not yet convicted – haven’t been introduced into a prison population.

Our surveillance state shown considerable determination to intrude on citizens sexually. There’s the sexual abuse of prisoners at Bagram – der Spiegel reports that “former inmates report incidents of … various forms of sexual humiliation. In some cases, an interrogator would place his penis along the face of the detainee while he was being questioned. Other inmates were raped with sticks or threatened with anal sex”. There was the stripping of Bradley Manning is solitary confinement. And there’s the policy set up after the story of the “underwear bomber” to grope US travelers genitally or else force them to go through a machine – made by a company, Rapiscan, owned by terror profiteer and former DHA czar Michael Chertoff – with images so vivid that it has been called the “pornoscanner”.

Believe me: you don’t want the state having the power to strip your clothes off. History shows that the use of forced nudity by a state that is descending into fascism is powerfully effective in controlling and subduing populations.

The political use of forced nudity by anti-democratic regimes is long established. Forcing people to undress is the first step in breaking down their sense of individuality and dignity and reinforcing their powerlessness. Enslaved women were sold naked on the blocks in the American south, and adolescent male slaves served young white ladies at table in the south, while they themselves were naked: their invisible humiliation was a trope for their emasculation. Jewish prisoners herded into concentration camps were stripped of clothing and photographed naked, as iconic images of that Holocaust reiterated.

One of the most terrifying moments for me when I visited Guantanamo prison in 2009 was seeing the way the architecture of the building positioned glass-fronted shower cubicles facing intentionally right into the central atrium – where young female guards stood watch over the forced nakedness of Muslim prisoners, who had no way to conceal themselves. Laws and rulings such as this are clearly designed to bring the conditions of Guantanamo, and abusive detention, home.

I have watched male police and TSA members standing by side by side salaciously observing women as they have been “patted down” in airports. I have experienced the weirdly phrased, sexually perverse intrusiveness of the state during an airport “pat-down”, which is always phrased in the words of a steamy paperback (“do you have any sensitive areas? … I will use the back of my hands under your breasts …”). One of my Facebook commentators suggested, I think plausibly, that more women are about to be found liable for arrest for petty reasons (scarily enough, the TSA is advertising for more female officers).

I interviewed the equivalent of TSA workers in Britain and found that the genital groping that is obligatory in the US is illegal in Britain. I believe that the genital groping policy in America, too, is designed to psychologically habituate US citizens to a condition in which they are demeaned and sexually intruded upon by the state – at any moment.

The most terrifying phrase of all in the decision is justice Kennedy’s striking use of the term “detainees” for “United States citizens under arrest”. Some members of Occupy who were arrested in Los Angeles also reported having been referred to by police as such. Justice Kennedy’s new use of what looks like a deliberate activation of that phrase is illuminating.

Ten years of association have given “detainee” the synonymous meaning in America as those to whom no rights apply – especially in prison. It has been long in use in America, habituating us to link it with a condition in which random Muslims far away may be stripped by the American state of any rights. Now the term – with its associations of “those to whom anything may be done” – is being deployed systematically in the direction of … any old American citizen.

Where are we headed? Why? These recent laws criminalizing protest, and giving local police – who, recall, are now infused with DHS money, military hardware and personnel – powers to terrify and traumatise people who have not gone through due process or trial, are being set up to work in concert with a see-all-all-the-time surveillance state. A facility is being set up in Utah by the NSA to monitor everything all the time: James Bamford wrote in Wired magazine that the new facility in Bluffdale, Utah, is being built, where the NSA will look at billions of emails, texts and phone calls. Similar legislation is being pushed forward in the UK.

With that Big Brother eye in place, working alongside these strip-search laws, – between the all-seeing data-mining technology and the terrifying police powers to sexually abuse and humiliate you at will – no one will need a formal coup to have a cowed and compliant citizenry. If you say anything controversial online or on the phone, will you face arrest and sexual humiliation?

Remember, you don’t need to have done anything wrong to be arrested in America any longer. You can be arrested for walking your dog without a leash. The man who was forced to spread his buttocks was stopped for a driving infraction. I was told by an NYPD sergeant that “safety” issues allow the NYPD to make arrests at will. So nothing prevents thousands of Occupy protesters – if there will be any left after these laws start to bite – from being rounded up and stripped naked under intimidating conditions.

Why is this happening? I used to think the push was just led by those who profited from endless war and surveillance – but now I see the struggle as larger. As one internet advocate said to me: “There is a race against time: they realise the internet is a tool of empowerment that will work against their interests, and they need to race to turn it into a tool of control.”

As Chris Hedges wrote in his riveting account of the NDAA: “There are now 1,271 government agencies and 1,931 private companies that work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States, the Washington Post reported in a 2010 series by Dana Priest and William M Arken. There are 854,000 people with top-secret security clearances, the reporters wrote, and in Washington, DC, and the surrounding area 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2011.”

This enormous new sector of the economy has a multi-billion-dollar vested interest in setting up a system to surveil, physically intimidate and prey upon the rest of American society.

Now they can do so by threatening to demean you sexually – a potent tool in the hands of any bully.

Ironic that they make customers naked at the airport but disallow nudism or at least nudist districts, much less Red Light Districts. Where are those private airfields and private owned craft or small fleet private airlines (in every state? Lady Gaga, I am disappoint – heres a reminder – NY, LA private airstrips and smaller, cheaper maybe older aircraft for a start. Talk to Alec Baldwin or anyone who has had trouble with the TSA or airline, if plutocrat singers don’t care about the 99%ters, so how do they expect to stay popular or want to buy tickets to concert when they should be pooling cash to buy their own airstrips or their own private aircraft? Fakes.

Damn 1% mentality 1%ters . . . little wonder people like that Branson character have carte blanc to collude with government to abuse human rights to DIGNITY . . . USA fails, the ‘Stars’ also fail . . . )??? Meanwhile nudism is still illegal (at least for appropriate zones and perhaps not near declared non-nudist friendly schools or places of worship – no signages needed, but the responsibility should be on the nudist to study maps of where a nudist can or cannot be nude).

Private companies should be able to buy land on The Moon or other planets for tourism, mining or even to sell property, a space policy expert has said.

Rand Simberg said that if governments started to provide property rights then entrepreneurs and billionaires might pile in and invest – and added that the ‘time is ripe’.

He has proposed a law that would circumvent the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which states no individual or government can have sovereignty over any body in space.
Could billionaires buy the moon? An American space expert claims that a loophole might allow investors to buy other planets

Could billionaires buy the moon? An American space expert claims that a loophole might allow investors to buy other planets
Sir Richard Branson next to the spacecraft White Knight Two: Anyone hoping to buy property in space will have to wait until people get there first – and Branson’s space flights have not happened yet

Sir Richard Branson next to the spacecraft White Knight Two: Anyone hoping to make money on property in space will have to wait until people get there first – and Branson’s passenger space flights have not happened yet

But such a move would mark a huge change in how mankind sees space and could open up the galaxy to a debacle akin to the Colonial era ‘Scramble for Africa’.

One government going alone might also incur the wrath of other nations who all remain signed up to the Outer Space Treaty.

Mr Simberg, who is based in the US, says that the law is open to challenge and does not explicitly forbid anybody from owning chunks of planets, so needs clearing up anyway.

Wired.com reported that his plan is called the Space Settlement Prize Act and was unveiled earlier this month at US conservative think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Any new law would have to work around the 1979 Moon Treaty Act which stops any nation from claiming sovereignty over The Moon, though major countries like the US and Russia have not ratified it.

Mr Simberg’s states: ‘The ratification failure of the Moon Treaty means there is no legal prohibition in force against private ownership of land on the Moon, Mars, etc., as long as the ownership is not derived from a claim of national appropriation or sovereignty (which is prohibited by the Outer Space Treaty)’

Another hurdle that would have to be overcome would be how people get to the moon – Richard Bransons’ Virgin Galactic has yet to even make its first commercial flight into orbit, let alone another planet.

But Mr Simberg said: ‘There are people who believe that rocks have rights; I’m not one of them’.

US space law lawyer Michael Listner told Wired.com that ownership of The Moon and other planets was a ‘very touchy issue’.
A sunset seen from the super-Earth planet Gliese 667 Cc. Billions of potentially habitable planets may exist in our galaxy, the Milky Way, according to a new study

Pricey destination? A sunset seen from the super-Earth planet Gliese 667 Cc – one of billions of potentially habitable planets in our Milky Way galaxy, according to scientists

‘To take that stand against the rest of the world, would take a lot of political will and the government would take a hit. It’s sort of a nonstarter,’ he said.

‘It’s similar to the way properties were pioneered in the Old West. The government opened up land and people went to settle it.’

The debate over ownership of space mirrors that on Earth – Britain recently provoked the ire of Argentina when it emerged that five UK companies are hunting for oil in the waters surrounding The Falkland Islands.

The Arctic is also emerging as a key battleground with Denmark, which owns Greenland, insisting it has the right to explore waters off its shores.

LOONY…..but, Rocks Have Rights! COOL! 😀

– OAP on something!, Ireland, 05/4/2012 19:09
Rating 1

Rubbish-pure, unfilter rubbish. no one is gonig to recognize some claim for a planet, or section of ap lanet filed long before it is pracal to get there. No one is going to accept, for example, my claim to 23% of the moon, filed in some office in Peru when , years later, itell successful miners to get off my space.

– Paul , Lansdale, PA USA, 05/4/2012 19:07
Rating 1

Lawyers are all chancers, one day the public will find out they’ve been dividing and ripping people off all along. You can’t actually own anything, only lay claim to it. I’ve claimed vast areas of the North of England, and the Falkland Islands for myself. My claim is as valid as anybody else’s. The Moon Treaty Act etc, mumbo jumbo it is not even worthy of Star Trek.

– icountlampposts, leeds, 05/4/2012 18:43
Rating 5

No one owns any planet.

– anonymous, UK, 05/4/2012 18:40
Rating 10

YOUR PLANET ?

– Klaatu, The Round Disk, 05/4/2012 18:36
Rating 3

Legal loophole could let billionaires BUY other planets before human settlers arrive (and they could even snap up the Moon) ====================No they can’t, they all belong to me.

– Gideon Webley, Wakefield, 05/4/2012 18:28
Rating 6

If you don’t own it then in my opinion you have no right to sell it.

– Me, UK, 05/4/2012 18:15

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This desire to ‘colonize’ should be on a needs basis. And there is no need for Humanity to leave earth but instead LEARN to stop being wasteful before being given access to any other planets. Also any planet cannot be bought innately, simply because in ‘Spiritual Theory’ the dominant species inhabitants or mircroorganisms of that planet which have not evolved into a dominant species have the true rights to ownership.

Typical ‘colonial’ behaviour again. These ‘billionaires’ are going to piss off some interplanetary species council or something if they don’t stop spouting colonial nonsense. For all we know, humans are already blacklisted for ‘preventing evolution by way of slavery and consumption’ of species considered domesticated as of now. These ‘Red Ocean’ strategy guys should be very careful who they talk to, governments should be very careful who they speak to as well. Perhaps Stephen hawkins knowing that humanity’s behaviour is spiritually ignorant and spiritually barbaric so Stephen feared for humanity though intuitively at most, but not putting into words what I just wrote above.

This means humans need to civilise before being allowed to obtain technology, and this ‘I was here first’ attitude that ignores microscopic life or that makes humans feel entitled to EATING other animals (we have the meat growing technology now, those with funds and access, upgrade or be damned) which effectively prevents the animal from evolving, could very well put humanity on the ‘hit list’ of superior alien civilisations. Who knows the are keeping count of the number of species going extinct and every species that disappears could well be some alien patron’s ant farm equivalent that died and causes withdrawal of support for humanity in that ‘sector’ of space.

This does not apply to just animate species, who knows RADIOACTIVE or CONDUCTIVE MINERALS like Plutonium and Gold have an ‘astral’ or ‘ethereal’ life that is extinguished when dug up, pissing off some alien which has plutonium flesh etc (Ultraman?) . . . Man’s understanding of nuclear physics may be entirely WRONG, man’s understading of physics or even the natrure of materials and life also wrong . . . who knows, some other ALIEN billionaire already owns ALL the planets in the Universe, it’s just that they aren’t there or don’t visit for 1000 year cycles and by Intergalactic law trespassers and SQUATTERS get blown up or imprisoned in some weird space prison where they are subjected to strange probes and experiments as a form of ‘reparation’ or ‘fine’.

Humans only have physical technology, what if Aliens cans stop time? Bend time? Bend reality? What then Mr.Billionaire with no spiritual application of physical laws? If mankind cannot even take care of poverty or be civilised enough to not have wars, what chance has mankind in the Universal scheme of multi-dimensional realities? Try telekinesis FOR REAL and solving poverty issues first. Capitalism is much like the invention of the Wheel. So whats the equivalent of ‘the Engine’ as opposed to the wheel? Utopia. And even then aliens might still consider humanity a mere animal or at best like the ‘technologically advanced but culturally and civilisationally backward’, ‘Klingons’ in Star Trek.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama believes women should be allowed to join the all-male Augusta National Golf Club, the White House said on Thursday, adding pressure on the exclusive 80-year-old organization to drop its restrictive policy.

“His personal opinion is that women should be admitted,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters, saying he had spoken to Obama about the issue, as the prestigious Masters tournament got under way in Augusta, Georgia.

In a rare moment of agreement with Obama, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, the Democratic president’s likely opponent in the Nov 6 election, said if it were up to him, “of course I’d have women in Augusta.”

The question of whether women should be allowed to become members at the home of the Masters has been around for years. But it took on added significance after Ginni Rometty became chief executive officer of IBM, one the tournament’s longtime sponsors, in January.

The White House weighed in on the issue during an election campaign in which Obama and his fellow Democrats are seeking to exploit a “gender gap” in polls showing the president ahead of Republican presidential contenders with women voters. Obama is hosting a conference on women and the economy on Friday.

Carney was asked whether Obama believed the men’s-only Augusta club should open its ranks to women, especially given Rometty’s position.

“It is obviously up to the club to decide,” Carney said at the daily White House briefing. “He believes Augusta should admit women. You know, we’re kind of long past the time when women should be excluded from anything.”

Club chairman Billy Payne was pressed on the eve of the Masters on whether the club would alter its policy.

And in keeping with the club’s secretive traditions, he refused on Wednesday to provide a clear answer, saying only that membership issues were not for public debate.

The prickly issue of whether women should be allowed to join the exclusive al-male Augusta National Golf Club refuses to go away.

On the eve of the Masters, chairman Billy Payne was again peppered with questions about whether the 80-year-old club would change its restrictive policy.

In keeping with the club’s secretive traditions, he refused to provide a clear answer when asked repeatedly by the media, saying only that membership issues were not for public debate.

“Once again, that deals with a membership issue and I’m not going to answer it,” he told a news conference on Wednesday.

The issue of whether women should be allowed to become members at the home of the Masters has been around for years – most notably a decade ago when Martha Burk led a series of protests – but took on added significance after Ginni Rometty was recently named Chief Executive Officer of IBM.

IBM, the world’s largest technology services company, is a long-standing sponsor of the Masters and its past four CEOs have been granted membership to Augusta National.

The club now faces a dilemma of whether to change its policy to allow Rometty to join or spurn one of its major sponsors, but Payne refused to say whether the issue had even been discussed.

“One, we don’t talk about our private deliberations,” he said. “Number two, we especially don’t talk about it when a named candidate is a part of the question.”

Augusta’s invitation-only membership has been steeped in secrecy since the conservative club opened in 1932. Women are allowed to play the course only if invited by a member but cannot become members themselves.

The club does not reveal its full list of members, believed to be around 300, although it is known that some of the powerful men from industry and finance, including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, are members.

It was not until 1990 that Augusta National invited its first black member, businessman Ron Townsend, following a row over racial discrimination at the whites-only Shoal Creek club in Alabama that was selected to host the PGA Championship.

IBM played a big part in the change, joining other sponsors in putting pressure on Shoal Creek by pulling its television advertisements.

Like Augusta, the club has kept mum on the subject and not commented on whether Rometty should be invited.

Reuters in Augusta, Georgia

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

There should be 10 clubs or club areas (if not time schedules) per club, multiplied by specific faith groups in list 2.

Guess which will be the most diversity embracing that can be the only group or club that Obama can endorse or be a member of being the president of ALL citizens in the USA, the answer? : Democratic and diverse type 10-5 which is superior to all.

The single gender Augusta should be kept in place simply to keep tradition in place out of respect to 80 years of tradition. Augusta IS *MALE* and a private company, should have no impositions from the public on PC issues. Maybe to mirror the club, an ‘August’ Club can be invented. Hegelian dialectic! Stop practicing ‘impositions’ and CREATE new spaces rather than invading old ones! (See Santorum? That’s why Santorum type 9-3 fails . . . )?

Presidential portraits are usually meant to show leaders in a favorable light. But sometimes, there’s more to them than meets the eye. A painting depicting President Obama holding a burning Constitution is up for grabs for $300,000.

­One Nation under Socialism is the creation of an artist from Utah, Jon McNaughton, who has been quoted as saying “like many Americans, I feel shock at the direction our country is heading in.”

According to McNaughton, the US federal government has been moving towards socialism for over a hundred years. The creator of One Nation under Socialism says however that he would never support “an ideology which will lead to the destruction of America.”

The Forgotten Man (image from mcnaughtonart.com)

­“Socialism uses the illusion of offering fairness and justice for everyone by redistributing the wealth of the nation; picking and choosing winners and losers. This administration has taken over our health system, giving bailouts to the automotive industry, banking industry and energy industry. They support the Occupy Wall Street movement of increased taxing of the rich to pay for the welfare of the ‘less rich’. The Constitution never guaranteed equal things – only equal rights and justice. In America we should be free to succeed and free to fail,” the artist wrote on his website.

It’s not the first time President Obama has featured in a painting by McNaughton. In The Forgotten Man Obama was depicted standing on the Constitution, a scene McNaughton described as “the vanishing of the American dream.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“Socialism uses the illusion of offering fairness and justice for everyone by redistributing the wealth of the nation; picking and choosing winners and losers. This administration has taken over our health system, giving bailouts to the automotive industry, banking industry and energy industry. They support the Occupy Wall Street movement of increased taxing of the rich to pay for the welfare of the ‘less rich’. The Constitution never guaranteed equal things – only equal rights and justice. In America we should be free to succeed and free to fail,” the artist wrote on his website.”

Not so. Socialism just ensures that there will be no EXTREME winners and no EXTREME losers. Society can do without both homeless and jobless citizens or multi-millionaires worth more than a few million, much less billionaires. The disparities inspire anger at the inequality, much like apartheid constitutions of semi-failed states posing as modern First World countries, and from what we hear, even the USA has problems in ensuring equality, though this is structural for USA rather than ideological. The US Constitution if applied properly without fail, should make USA a role model.

The Constitution never guaranteed equal things – only equal rights and justice.

TRUE, but given the extreme disparities of wealth distribution and political power distribution DUE TO lack of wealth distribution, the Constitution needs to be amended to limit sequestration of wealth which leads to sequestration of wealth bought power, even as wealth bought power must also be addressed by changes to Constitution.

A California student who left school, her family and her friends to live with her teacher boyfriend has ended the relationship after the teacher was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting another girl 14 years ago.

“He called me from jail and yes, I told him that we’re done,” Jordan Powers, 18, told ABC News in an exclusive interview. “I lost everything for this guy. I lost my senior year. I gave up all my friends at high school because they didn’t agree with me.”

James Hooker, 41, was arrested in Modesto, Calif., on Friday after police discovered he had an an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student in 1998.

Hooker has been under investigation for his involvement with Powers, his former business class student, with whom he appeared on national TV programs earlier this year to profess his love.

Hooker was charged with one count of oral copulation with a minor and is in jail, according to a statement from Modesto police.

“He told me that he met her online and he hung out with her just as friends and then he went to her house and she came out of the bathroom naked and he only touched her boobs and her legs,” Powers said. “He was freaked out so he left and went home. He said nothing else happened, but all of that was a lie.”

Despite the charges, Powers said nothing happened romantically between her and Hooker prior to her 18th birthday.

The teen said she believed the woman came forward now to help her see the truth about Hooker and rescue her from the relationship.

“My heart dropped. I felt betrayed. I just have a gut feeling there are other girls,” Jordan Powers said.

Her mother, Tammie Powers, has publicly tried to end the romance from the beginning and expressed relief at Hooker’s arrest.

“It’s my contention all along that he used authority and that he’s a predator,” she said.

But a reconciliation between mother and daughter isn’t happening just yet.

Jordan Powers said she is staying with a family friend in another state while she recovers from her heartbreak.

“How could he lie to me for all these months and look me in the eye and tell me he loves me?” she said. “I don’t know how someone could have such a cold heart.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Phenotype predator? Or inter-phenotypically predator-victim relationship (i.e. certain relationships could end in failure because of the energy ‘enmity’ natural in ALL similar phenotypes)? Could some FBI types put together profiles of “compatible-long lasting-stable” and “end-in-divorce-murder” matches THEN distribute as a form of educational booklet? This will help naturally incompatible phenotypes from marrying or identify host-parasite relationships. Also certain types do better in certain industries etc.. this could help students decide which field they can best excel in rather than being influenced by friends or family, surroundings etc.. A injunction or approach prohibition order or at worst require that the wealthier party leave for a another neighbourhood WITH HELP from the state (to find a job etc.. also for easier monitoring) – should be enough though in this case, jail is expensive and unnecessary.

ARTICLE 5

Zimmerman lawyer: Client convicted by media – April 6, 2012 8:31 AM

(CBS News) Lawyers for George Zimmerman said their client has been convicted by the media for the shooting of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin, and that no crime was committed under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” statute because the neighborhood watch volunteer acted out of fear for his life.

Appearing on “CBS This Morning,” attorney Hal Uhrig said that the fatal shooting of Martin on February 26 has been presented by the media as a “rush to judgment story – I guess that started with Johnnie Cochran and the O.J. Simpson case. It’s certainly an example here. This case had momentum created by a lot of misinformation.”

Uhrig pointed, as an example, to a picture of Martin that shows him apparently as a “12-year-old boy instead of a 6’3″ [17]-year-old varsity football player who got into a confrontation with somebody six inches shorter than him.”

Complete Coverage: The Trayvon Martin Shooting

When asked by Charlie Rose what Zimmerman would like to tell the public about the events of that night, Uhrig replied, “The short version of that is that he didn’t commit any crime. He was where he was allowed to be, not committing a crime, confronted by someone else who started the violent confrontation physically. He was attacked, broke his nose, hit his head into the ground and he defended himself. That’s not against the law.”

Uhrig said the Florida “Stand Your Ground” statute applied because Zimmerman feared for his life: “One of the points people have said, the force [used against Martin] was too much, even if he broke his nose and slammed his head into the ground. Many people remember the case of Liam Neeson’s wife – fell on a little ski slope, hit her head one time on the ground, and died. We’re familiar with the shaken baby syndrome: You shake a baby the brain shakes around inside the skull, you can die.

“When someone is pounding your head on the ground, and you’ve already had your nose broken, you could be in reasonable fear for great bodily harm – which is what the Florida statute calls for – and if you think you’re about to lose your life or be seriously injured like that, you’re absolutely entitled to take the necessary action to stop it.”

“Are you saying that’s what Mr. Zimmerman said – he thought he was in fear of losing his life and so he shot Trayvon Martin?” asked Rose.

“I can confirm that without telling you any specific words, that’s exactly what he thought,” Urhig replied.

Martin shooter’s family goes on the offensive
Trayvon Martin’s family asks feds to investigate
Report: Zimmerman described as “Jekyll and Hyde”

Craig Sonner, another Zimmerman attorney, said law enforcement agrees with Zimmerman’s decision to stay in hiding, citing threats against his client. In fact, both lawyers confirmed that they have not met with Zimmerman face-to-face, only speaking by phone, though Uhrig said an in-person meeting would happen “fairly soon.”

Uhrig explained that procedurally the State Attorney of Duvall County Angela Corey, who was assigned by Florida’s governor to the case, will take her time in her investigation and then decide whether or not to take it to a grand jury.

“If she takes it to a grand jury, then at least 12 members of the grand jury would have to vote for either an indictment or what’s called a ‘no true’ bill, which is to say, ‘Wow if you look at all the evidence now instead of just listening to the loudest voice in the crowd, it really was not a crime,'” Uhrig said.

To watch the complete interview with Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner, click on the video player above

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Actually if a stranger even throws a first punch (the prelude to random killings for fun scenario – at night and in the middle of nowhere) danger of being killed if not flashing in anyone’s mind, would be ridiculous. Someone hits you in the middle of nowhere, you’d think they want to kill you for fun. Of course if you had a gun you’d shoot because if you didn’t you’d die anyway. After the initial punch also, a person being hit might not be thinking clearly anymore, more so if being bashed into the sidewalk. Clarity of thought would not even be the issue, much less racism, this was mere survival instinct.

This movie looks like such a horrendous stinker, they’ll probably have to hand out clothespins with the tickets.

– Yoda, in a galaxy far, far away, 08/4/2012 12:27
Rating 75

Oh wow I haven’t seen Brenda Song in a while. Glad to see she’s healthy and happy.

– Amelie, New York City, 08/4/2012 12:24
Rating 41

Probably the worst film after ‘springbreakers’

– Naya, London, 08/4/2012 09:44
Rating 37

Ste looks amazing Nice to see her face had calmed down. She looked a bit cat like last time I saw her

– RB 007, Liverpool. UK, 08/4/2012 09:18

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This lot are so privileged and have played so many characters (making them indirectly uncommitted to their roles) that there is no point watching them act. Also there is nothing real about being on permanent holiday or clubbing every night yet having no discernible source of income or actually working. This is not acting, this is ‘being themselves’ having fun while society crumbles around them.

Could the casting directors or producers stop using relatives and friends and actually hold REAL auditions so that someone off the street, hungry, and freshly learning to display freshly learnt acting skills or an organic sense of self (especially not worth millions so the general 99% audience can REALLY relate to them) and ready to throw themselves into the role would be better – there is a nominally insincere incongruity, residual mockery and complaisance about the plutocrat no matter what role – even if poor or so sick or so ill or disabled – or no matter how young that has the final effect of taking away from the viewer rather than adding on to them – soul theft . . . ). Also consistency and as few crossovers as possible would be good. Lookalikes are also bad in many ways. The last thing the 99% need is 1%rers playing 99%ters (much like ‘blackface’ actors playing Africans or African Americans.). For example J-Lo’s Jenny from the Block series of songs was an indicator she had hit that plutocrat level, and was trying to qualify her ‘poor’ roots, compensating for ‘toffness’. That can’t be done for real. Unless a habit of giving away enough to remain ‘from the block’.

Well the day anyone reaches 401K in personal asset, much less 4.01M, is the day that the organic feel disappears and they should retire. Any film or art connoiseur would concur. The best acting disappears with security that wealth brings. Players of 99% people must be by 99% people, much like 1% people should play 1%people (or boxers should play boxers – the Rocky the Boxer series would have been tremendously better played by an ACTUAL boxer though the script was quite organic . . . the later backgrounds in the later films were especially bad, gilded gold and plush curtains, ‘rat pack’ style suits, champagne and roses in 5 star restaurants etc..), IF either group does not worry they will make a mockery of their own group in the process (which needs a sincere love of where they were from AND still in . . . ).

More artificiality that who knows has led to the immense poverty and extreme wealth sequestration plaguing the world today. The sense of proportion is afflicted by ‘psyche/psychic mismatch’ of the actors and their roles or depicted persons and groups, the deeper implications and effects on society are unconscionable and doubtless harmful.

ARTICLE 7

The Earth is full By Paul Gilding, Special to CNN – April 8, 2012 — Updated 1339 GMT (2139 HKT) Paul Gilding: World crisis is coming

Paul Gilding: The demands we place on the environment far exceed its capacity
He says we are heading for a day when economic growth will reach its limit on Earth
It makes sense to start planning for changes needed to adapt to the coming crisis, he says
Gilding: Allies’ response in World War II showed our capability to change quickly and survive

Editor’s note: Paul Gilding, author of “The Great Disruption,” is an advocate and adviser to nongovernmental organizations and businesses and the former chief executive of Greenpeace. He spoke at the TED2012 conference in February. TED is a nonprofit dedicated to “Ideas worth spreading” which it makes available through talks posted on its website.

(CNN) — For 50 years the environmental movement has unsuccessfully argued that we should save the planet for moral reasons, that there were more important things than money. Ironically, it now seems it will be money — through the economic impact of climate change and resource constraint — that will motivate the sweeping changes necessary to avert catastrophe.

The reason is we have now reached a moment where four words — the earth is full — will define our times. This is not a philosophical statement; this is just science based in physics, chemistry and biology. There are many science-based analyses of this, but they all draw the same conclusion — that we’re living beyond our means.

The eminent scientists of the Global Footprint Network, for example, calculate that we need about 1.5 Earths to sustain this economy. In other words, to keep operating at our current level, we need 50% more Earth than we’ve got.

Watch Paul Gilding’s TED Talk

In financial terms, this would be like always spending 50% more than you earn, going further into debt every year. But of course, you can’t borrow natural resources, so we’re burning through our capital, or stealing from the future.

While they use different words, leaders and experts around the world are acknowledging this. Chinese Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian said last year, “The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the worsening ecological environment have become bottlenecks and grave impediments to (our) economic and social development.” If I had said that in the ’90s, when I was the global head of Greenpeace, it would have been dismissed as doom-and-gloom extremism!
Paul Gilding: The Earth is full

TED.com: How we wrecked the ocean

Even the previous heresy, that economic growth has limits, is on the table. Belief in infinite growth on a finite planet was always irrational, but it is the nature of denial to ignore hard evidence. Now denial is evaporating, even in the financial markets. As influential fund manager Jeremy Grantham of GMO says: “The fact is that no compound growth is sustainable. If we maintain our desperate focus on growth, we will run out of everything and crash.” Or as peak oil expert Richard Heinberg argues, we are moving beyond peak oil and into “peak everything.”

Despite this emerging understanding, the growth concept is so deeply ingrained in our thinking that we will keep pushing economic growth as hard as we can, at whatever cost is required.

As a result, the crisis will be big, it will be soon, and it will be economic, not environmental. The fact is the planet will take further bludgeoning, further depleting its capital, but the economy cannot — so we’ll respond not because the environment is under great threat, but because the science and economics shows that something far more important to us is jeopardized — economic growth.

TED.com: The biggest health threat facing women

A good indicator is that, despite the recession of the past few years, oil and food prices are approaching record highs again, driven by underlying, long-term trends that even a recession can’t slow down. Grantham calls this “the most important economic event since the Industrial Revolution.”

If serious growth returns, the resulting resource price spikes, particularly oil and food, will soon kill it again. As a result, what we are facing is not a few bad years of slow growth like this past recession, but a fundamental shift — the end of cheap resources and an environment in a state of collapse.

Even normally cautious bodies like the International Energy Agency and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are sounding the alarm, with the latter recently releasing a comprehensive report forecasting a world in 2050 that will be defined by resource constraint and its economic impacts. They even dare to ask: “Will the growth process undermine itself?”

TED.com: Peter Diamandis says abundance is our future

So when this crisis hits, will we respond or will we simply slide into collapse? Crisis elicits a powerful human response, whether it be personal health, natural disaster, corporate crisis or national threat. Previously immovable barriers to change quickly disappear.

In this case, the crisis will be global and will manifest as the end of economic growth, thereby striking at the very heart of our model of human progress. While that will make the task of ending denial harder, it also means what’s at risk is, quite simply, everything we hold to be important. The last time this happened was World War II, and our response to that is illustrative of both the denial and delay process and the likely form our response to this crisis will take.

TED.com: The global power shift

When we look at history we tend to see the progress of events as inevitable, but it was rarely so at the time. Indeed, the UK’s powerful response to Hitler and the United States’ equally extraordinary mobilization after Pearl Harbor both followed long years of denial and debate.

Many argued that the threat wasn’t that great, the response would be too expensive to afford, the public wouldn’t support it. Sound familiar? But when the response came, when the scale of the threat was finally accepted, our response was breathtaking. As Churchill told his country: “It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”

With denial gone, governments knew what was “necessary.” They directed industry to support the war — banning civilian auto production just four days after Pearl Harbor. They raised massive amounts of money to fund investment and technology research at an extraordinary scale — indeed, U.S. spending on the war rose from 1.6% of GDP in 1940 to 37% just five years later. To achieve this, they curtailed personal consumption and drove remarkable behavior change to free up financial and other resources for the war effort.

Do you find this hard to imagine today? Then try to imagine the alternative — that in a collapsing global economy and society we will stand by and simply watch the slide. There is no precedent in modern history on which to base that conclusion and plenty of evidence for the alternative. Humanity may be slow, but we are not stupid. Get ready for the great disruption.

Land IF distributed at 1 acre per family or 4 unrelated individuals, for a very good diet and much living space and no longer encroaching on natural habitats of wild-life (this could be 3 acres but we have to consider that within certain areas environments are too harsh and only the wealthy will be able to cultivate such areas – suggest that the wealthiest rehabilitate unliveable areas, their sequestration of wealth is quite useless . . . ) , we’d still be able to retain ALL existing urban areas.

If humanity cannot make the most of this planet, humanity does not deserve to leave this planet. If humanity cannot share wealth and resources or innovate, humanity does not deserve to leave this planet. If humanity cannot even get their media portals to tell the truth, allow apartheid or bad laws to persist, cannot even apply the Human Rights Charter, allow signatories to be breakers of UN laws to sit in the Human Rights Council, humanity's 'leaders' are as of now FAIILURES and LIARS. The medieval era is still here, CNN type media is very inaccurate in this article at least !

Humanity only needs WEALTH DISTRIBUTION and LAND DISTRIBUTION.

Shame on you CNN! Bad reporting with skewed agendas that will harm planet Earth’s inhabitants.

There is NO WORLD (population) CRISIS, the EARTH IS NOT FULL. Withdraw your false flaggers CNN ! “The Great Disruption” is propaganda. There is though a pollution crisis. Greenpeace cannot be serious about associating with such lies. The UN cannot be associating with Greenpeace as well. If CNN is honest at all.

An Internet survey among more than one thousand people shows that fewer Chinese speak dialects, China Youth Daily reported Thursday.

The joint investigation, conducted by major portal sina.com and china.com.cn among 1,045 Internet users, showed that 39 percent of people said they often use dialects, whereas 10 percent of them never use or could not speak dialects at all.

Qian Nairong, a professor at the College of Liberal Arts at Shanghai University, said the Shanghai dialect may not last long as many young people born after 1985 cannot speak the language.

“Many people use dialects to contrast with mandarin, which is required and popularized in primary and middle schools in some urban areas,” Qian said.

As many as 64 percent of the interviewees said they avoid speaking dialects due to their “rustic pronunciation”, according to the survey.

Some experts are calling for the preservation of dialects along with the spread of mandarin.

Dialects have a large amount of vocabulary and vivid descriptions of life, said Qian.

“Many local operas may also die out as they are developed from dialects,” Ding Chongming, a professor with the College of Chinese Language and Culture of Beijing Normal University said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Dialects should be protected and retained as a form of coded communication for locals that do not travel much that can be used to protect local interests with. Multiple dialect studies required for promotions to higher levels of office. I.e. a PM of a country should have knowledge of all dialects. A governor should have knowledge of all local dialects around his own province. At the same time, the national language should ONLY be used for general conversations, with the ‘already dead’ dialects to be used as coded languages for perhaps espionage duties or giving of military orders or such. The neurotech issue could render NLP sabotage via KNOWN languages and in this, Mandarin has already been ‘breached’ for all purposes of keeping issues secret.

At the same time, avoid or instruct producers and directors to avoid use of dialects in or poorly scripted movies or idiotic dramas as this is probably a foreign method to cause young people to turn their backs for a supposedly more ‘formal’ language like ‘English’. Again the insular classes as in the past should NEVER learn external languages and hire LOCAL translators for travel purposes if needed. Finally do not abuse non-users of own dialects or outsiders foreign or Chinese, even within China, as that dialect will have another opponent as well as the local community being considered rude. Lower tier areas of course are inhabited by coarser people and in general a map of areas considered socially unsuitable for foreigners and even locals could be developed and updated by Courtesy Auditors who could travel about and rate the locals in any given area. A culture of politeness borne of a desire to not be marked as a tourism or even local tourism unsuitable area could drive a society to be better.

SHANGHAI – Two people were killed and another two missing when their yacht hit the cable of a cargo ship in East China’s Jiangsu province on Wednesday, local maritime officials said.

Eight people, including six students of Shanghai Jiaotong University, a tour guide and a boat driver, were aboard when the accident happened at around 1 pm in Taihu lake in the city of Suzhou, the municipal maritime officials said.

One college student and the tour guide died after treatment failed in hospital. Four others were treated in hospital. Two students were missing,they said.

Search for the missing students in under way.

Wednesday is the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-sweeping Day, and the last day of the three-day national holiday.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Try a line of Oil Rig form platform homes (at 10km intervals perhaps?) for any who want to live an pelagic simulating lifestyle (without oil drill equipment) at the limits of China’s EEZ.

Maybe at every 100km interval, a customs point with helipads, airstrips, hotels or series or individual homes perhaps, military outpost base and warehouse-port facility, could also be placed. This way the limits of China’s territory will be very clearly marked. China can afford to do this. Since China has 20,000k worth of coast, this would mean 2000 projects or private luxury homes, much like or fashioned in the manner (excepting that there will be ocean around the tower instead) of :

What does China’s Wen mean when he says break bank monopoly? – April 04, 2012

BEIJING, April 4 — When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talks about busting a bank monopoly, he may be thinking of modest financial reforms, not a dismantling of the Big Four state-owned banks.

His comments on Tuesday were blunt: the big banks reap profits “far too easily” and operate like a monopoly that needs to be broken in order to speed the flow of money to loan-hungry smaller businesses.

Reuters contacted five of China’s largest banks to see how Wen’s remarks were received. There was little concern that a major policy shift was imminent, especially when the Communist Party is only months away from a once-a-decade power handover, which includes replacing Wen.

“Wen has one year left (in his term),” said a Chinese state banker who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. “This is a task for the next generation of leaders. It cannot be accomplished within one year.”

The Big Four banks, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China , Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China and China Construction Bank, account for about 40 per cent of China’s total loans.

They have come under criticism for earning fat profits while small businesses scramble for financing.

Last year, the top four banks earned net profits totalling $99 billion, more than double at their U.S. equivalent – Citibank, J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo.

The large banks tend to direct most of their lending toward fellow state-owned enterprises, but China increasingly relies on smaller private firms for job creation and economic growth.

The big banks wield formidable political power. Top executives are appointed by the Communist Party’s Organisation Department and hold a rank equivalent to a cabinet vice-minister.

That means any aggressive form of monopoly busting, akin to the U.S. government’s dismantling of the “Ma Bell” telephone company in the 1980s, would require widespread political support and that does not appear to be in place.

Judging from Wen’s past remarks on financial reform, his answer to unblocking lending likely involves more modest measures such as encouraging the development of local banks and deepening credit markets to give borrowers choices other than traditional bank loans.

That could open up the flow of lending to smaller businesses without posing a serious threat to the Big Four.

Wen has long been known as a reform-minded leader and has been outspoken on the need to modernise China’s financial system to help sustain economic growth. His views are not always shared by the rest of the leadership in Beijing, and it was unclear whether Tuesday’s comments reflected a broader consensus.

Neither Xinhua, the state-owned news organisation, nor the People’s Daily, the main Communist Party newspaper, reported Wen’s latest remarks, which could be an indication that they do not reflect the rest of the leadership’s thinking.

This wasn’t the first time Wen has spoken of loosening the big banks’ grip on lending. On Jan. 30, he said the government needed to “break monopolies” that block private capital from coming into the financial sector.

He also promoted a pilot programme in Wenzhou, a city that has been a hotbed of entrepreneurism but also risky lending schemes, to encourage private investment in local banks and set up loan companies as a way to expand borrowing options.

Wen may feel emboldened to push his reform agenda harder after last month’s ouster of rising star Bo Xilai who had made no secret of his ambitions to enter the inner circle of the ruling Communist Party.

His downfall followed oblique criticism by Wen which has raised questions over whether the more traditional, state dominated economic model that Bo promoted would be able to survive him.

“Market economists have been talking about reforms for many years and Premier Wen will push ahead for it this year,” said Jian Chang, a China economist with Barclays Capital in Hong Kong. “The progress will be steady and gradual, and starts with trials… It cannot happen overnight.” — Reuter

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Thats truly using the mandate if anything and China with such wide powers could easily make what the lazier among Marxists incorrectly implemented via violence into something intended by Marx – a control against uncontrolled Capitalism, perhaps via Socialist Caps onf maximum wealth sequesterable.

Annual declaration of assets by all government functionaries and (something which some politicians with something to hide cannot do or worse still promise to declare and do not abide by in states that are corrupt enough that they do not dare to require such declarations) and the criteria by which a bureaucrat could be dismissed on. If a bureaucrat is rich, he takes up posts which could support an average person (removing an opportunity for work), and instead of drawing a salary when he already does not need to work but insists on staying because he wants power! . . . nationhood is not about power, and a statesman does not need to be formally hired by the state in order to participate (though oligarchs tend to suppress any and all citizens who are not on state payroll or state hierarchy).

In China, entrepreneurs say it is impossible to run your business without bribery. And the new trend – provoking an angry buzz in the local internet community – is to pay dishonest officials with record-priced cigarettes.

­In the Chinese city of Xian, a carton of luxury Good Cat cigarettes goes for no less than $889. Shop assistants say that despite the exorbitant price, the cigarettes sell quite well, mainly as gifts. This has led to speculation that Good Cats are used to bribe officials.

“Because of corruption, you cannot do business. In effect, you can do nothing if you don’t send gifts to those in power,” Xinhua news agency’s editorial said.

News of the extravagant smokes has blown across the Chinese internet on Thursday. Some outraged users wrote that they could easily live for a whole month for the price of a single cigarette. Others claim that the producers of such expensive cigarettes only rely on the growth of corruption in Chinese society.

Meanwhile, the manufacturer of Good Cat, the Shaanxi Tobacco Company, claims that these shockingly-priced Good Cat cigarettes circulating the market are just rare samples, because the product has not yet hit the shelves.

It is not the first time cigarettes have been at the heart of a corruption scandal in China. The former director of the Nanjing Property Bureau, Zhou Jiugeng, was fired in 2008 for “purchasing high-priced cigarettes using public funds.”

In China giving and sharing cigarettes is a customary practice. In a country where over half the adult male population smokes, cigarettes are used as gifts for various special occasions from weddings and business meetings to funerals.

This creates a growing market for luxury cigarette brands. Panda cigarettes, which used to be loved by the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, can reach as much as $107 per pack, against $2 for a more generic brand.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The cronies selling cigarettes will channel back profits from these imports. Corruption via proxy. Briber, cigar seller and officials have arrangements. During Chinese New Year or some other time where money can flow without being detected, the official will get the REAL bribe which is charged against the exhorbitant inflations purposely imposed by the vendors. Any secret police personnel could be assigned to ALL officials at all times in 3 shifts at a minimal salary, with an equitable and reasonable award for catching the official. Live cams could also be installed on these secret police monitored by a superior so that bribery/subversion attempts can be caught.

Corruption and lack of understanding of REAL values in wasting money on things like cigars much like 100K luxury handbags or 150K champagnes while 99% of the population starves, is partly why the Manchu led Qing Manchu minority led Dynasty led China to the 1911 colonization situation.

The news and picture came from a web posting in Baidu’s discussion forum: Family planning authorities in Moshan town, administered by Linyi city, Shandong province, forced a 9-month pregnant woman into abortion. According to the post, the baby “even gave a cry when it came out.” The family, on hearing the cry, went over to see the baby, before it stopped crying or breathing. Doctors pronounced its death.

The image shows the 9 month fetus lying dead in a bucket. Because the parents of the baby already have a child, the local government hunted them down and forced abortion, citing the One Child Policy, which is imposed on all urban Han Chinese families. The mother was restrained as doctors injected her with a drug to kill the unborn baby. But after the baby was dragged out of its mother’s body, it was still alive and began to cry, before doctors left it in a bucket and drowned it.

The post soon attracted public attention. An unidentified netizen condemned the local birth control office vehemently in his comment on the post:

Translation:

I am from Linyi city. I know how dark the family planning authorities here are. Each village has a target set by the higher-ups that must be met. Besides, each village is also entitled to a fixed number of abortions as an extra. However, not all villages have eligible people, or this number of pregnant women. So officials responsible for women’s affairs of each village take the trouble to rummage about for pregnant women to induce abortion. As long as her hukou (family register) is in the jurisdiction, as long as she agrees to terminate pregnancy, the village will reimburse all her surgical costs and even mete out a monetary reward of 8,000 to 10,000 yuan (US1,270 to 1,580). If the set target cannot be met, the village will be faced with penalty. But how can there possibly be so many incidences? Most people these days do not want that many children. How can there be so many extra births? In this case, they pounce on mothers-to-be like vampires who see blood. Reckless of how old the fetus is, they force abortion. There are just too many things like that in Linyi. I even witnessed one myself. In the hospital, a pregnant woman was dragged by several ruggedly muscular men into the operation room and did not relax their vigilance until she was injected with the drug. They said, “Another one accomplished.” But that pregnant woman was near term! And her family did not even know she was kidnapped here. I later learned that she was captured when she was at a fair.

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China, please investigate and re-educate the lower tier cities and rural areas especially. This is a chilling sort of news easily dismissed as rumour or covered up as a form of anti-China propaganda. There are many families happy to adopt children around the world, please streamline the social protections and social services in China if this is true. Young lives destroyed in this manner will only harm China’s reputation.

In Perak’s picturesque royal town, the MCKK shows physical signs of ageing, and some licks of paint would do much to improve the first impression.

TUNKU ‘ABIDIN MUHRIZ, The Star

Obviously, some Malay College Old Boys read this column because I received about a dozen messages of curiosity after I wrote that I’d describe my trip to the Malay College of Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), fulfilling an invitation by the headmaster.

One old boy of the Sixties predicted that I would be scathing, lamenting dejectedly: “If you want to see how much the Malaysian education system has deteriorated over the years, just look at MCKK. It is a perfect symbol of how things have gone wrong.”

Coming from an old boy, that was instructively candid.

Certainly when I arrived at the school, nestled in Perak’s picturesque royal town, there were physical signs of ageing, and some licks of paint would do much to improve the first impression.

Immediately in the entrance lobby are signs of the school’s illustrious history: plaques commemorating events from generations ago that probably enhance the self-confidence of the teachers and students who walk through it.

An adjacent waiting room has shelves crammed with trophies, shields and mementoes of equally ancient provenance.

In a classroom, I saw the fruit of the international relationships that the MCKK has cultivated, including youth summits and sports fixtures; they have a particularly special relationship with Vajiravudh College in Bangkok.

I was shown a dormitory of the Mohd Shah house, named after the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan who co-founded the school in 1905. The other three houses are named after Sultans of the other Federated Malay States.

In the old days, princes were not allowed to be in the house corresponding to their state, presumably to prevent overzealous expressions of state patriotism and to instead inculcate loyalty to the school.

Today, the school enjoys the patronage of all nine Rulers.

After meeting the relaxed senior boy charged with the heavy responsibility of overseeing the dormitory, I joined the Form Ones for lunch.

Their discipline was impressive: after synchronised seating and prayers, barely any clanging was heard from hundreds of forks and spoons against the metallic dishes as ravenous appetites were appeased before an afternoon of activities and further studying.

I informed the students that I had come to the school having met many illustrious alumni, and that they should be mindful of this institution’s role in the life of the nation.

Headmaster Anand Baharuddin is working to ensure the school continues to play a leading role.

New developments include the International Baccalaureate wing: so far, the only other school offering this in the government system is Tunku Kurshiah College, mirroring the anecdotal propensity that MCKK old boys end up marrying TKC old girls who produce offspring who repeat the cycle.

Next month, the school will for the very first time in its 107-year-old history participate in an international competition outside Asia, courtesy of its new Robotics Club who will be sending a team to the VEX Robotics World Championship in California.

However, the headmaster is also inspired by history on campus.

Astoundingly there are two courts for Eton Fives, which he says he wants to restore – but who they will play against is baffling, as there are probably no other courts within a four-hour flying radius.

I spotted a dilapidated, probably once gorgeous house nearby – Norton’s House, they call it – but as so often is the case with decaying buildings in this country, it has proven difficult to find sufficient interest and money to restore it.

I have seen this mismatch of ambition with resources in so many schools I’ve been to recently, whether or not they have a historical legacy.

Of course, the nation’s coffers cannot endow every school with the funding that the elite private schools enjoy, but empowering teachers and parents to make decisions without recourse to the ministry is something more easily done.

Indeed, in Malaysia today, the depth of concern from parents about their children’s education can be seen across ethnic and class lines: from the numerous petitions of the umpteen pro-PPSMI groups to the incident involving Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong on Sunday.

Malaysia is in trouble. A rare word from a ‘progressive’ Tunku and all the Rakyat get is an article on a coat of paint?!? Eyes up and bodies about apex classers, the PEOPLE first please (leave the ‘coat of paint’ issues to the fund raising teachers who probably would consider such details beneath them busy politicking) . . . end the apartheid and Asabiya let Malaysia join the First World.

Speaking truthfully and with a conscience? Or did Tunku Abidin end up abiding? A Royal can mince no words when admonishing wayward civil servants! The people will be aware of the truth of this matter and judge any and all on the basis, every wrongful retraction weakens the Royal Institution . . .

IDEAS must be ethical support and demand that all Malaysian lawmakers abide by Article 1 of UNHCR or withdraw as a signatory of the Human Rights Charter. The current state of affairs in Malaysia’s 2 citizenship system is untenable!

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Lim Guan Eng has ridiculed the deputy prime minister’s claim that the standard of local education is superior to that of Britain, the United States and Germany, calling the statement so “preposterous” that “even a primary school student won’t believe” it.

The Penang chief minister pointed out that while British, American and German universities are widely acknowledged to be among the best in the world, not a single Malaysian university had made it into the top 200 global rankings.

Lim today said the DPM is in denial over the problems that exist in the local education system. — file pic
“I don’t know on what basis he is saying that our education system is better than the UK, US and Germany’s…,” he told reporters in George Town today.

“If that is the case, why are all our students going to the UK, US and Germany to study? Why is it no students from the UK, US and Germany are coming to Malaysia to study?”

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should take steps to improve sliding academic standards rather than remain in denial.

“If you deny there are problems, then no action will be taken… and there are real problems,” the Bagan MP stressed.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said yesterday a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) stated that Malaysian students were getting a better education than their counterparts in Britain, the US and Germany.

He pointed out that the WEF’s 2011/12 Global Competitiveness Report ranked Malaysia 14th among 142 countries in terms of quality of education.

The deputy prime minister was quoting findings in the Executive Opinion Survey portion of the report, which polled top business figures on the competitiveness of various sectors and institutions.

According to the survey, the number of executives polled for Malaysia was 87.

The respondents were asked to rank how well the Malaysian education system met the needs of a competitive economy on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being “not well at all” and 7 being “very well” but they were not asked to rank the country in comparison to others.

Malaysia achieved a weighted average score of 5.1, as did Australia, Lebanon and Barbados.

Switzerland, Singapore and Finland led the rankings after each secured a rating of 5.9.

Germany placed 17th with a score of 4.9, Britain came in 20th with 4.8 and the US took the 26th spot with a 4.7 rating.

Despite Malaysia placing 14th, the WEF report said in its summary for Malaysia that as the country becomes increasingly innovation-driven, “it will need to improve its performance in education and technological readiness”.

“In terms of higher education and training (38th), improving access remains a priority in light of low enrollment rates of 69 per cent (101st) and 36 per cent (66th) for secondary and tertiary education, respectively,” it said.

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Even more preposterous is the strawman debate that LGE wllingly wades into instead of attacking apartheid. The government could END all funding for schools in exchange for ending apartheid via the below items and the people would be happier. LGE is still not using that mandate.

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (UNHCR Article 1)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (UNHCR Article 18)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (UNHCR Article 1)

Pretending to argue with Muhyiddin is almost as good as colluding with BN to continue apartheid. File that lawsuit against the Federal Government for Article 1 of the UNHCR at least if no Malay leaders are willing to file for UNHCR Article 18. Waste of mandate and mutual distraction between BN and PR to keep the minorities pre-occupied with unimportant rubbish! Give over that CM’s post to a real minority leader who will file suit and then resign in disgust THEN act like Dalai Llama and go to India or China to seek asylum from persecution. LGE is a fool playing the part of lapdog when LGE refuses to act as above suggested. Give over that CM’s post to the right man and then see how apartheid ends, not argue about ‘education’ endlessly. This is a sandiwara of the worst kind!

As for the minorities, boycott national schools and stop wasting time watching LGE ‘play drama’ with DPM Muddy. Set up your own private schools. Accredit yourselves with foreign boards or individuals working on foreign boards. Work with private companies using those non-Malaysian MOE recognized qualifications. Suggest starting accreditation efforts with advice and oversight from China and Taiwan and Indian also Brazil and Russia and South Africa. With a little work minorities could even get the BRICS to DE-RECOGNIZE Malaysian degrees.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah resumed his attack on the New Economic Policy (NEP) today, stating that “captive minds” continue to support it despite Malaysia moving further from its objective of redistributing wealth through pro-Bumiputera policies.

The Umno veteran said there has been “no intellectual inquiry” into why “despite many years of implementing the NEP, inequitable distribution of income continues to plague the people” as “we have become incapable of devising an analytical method independent of current stereotypes about Malays, Chinese, Indians and others.”

Ku Li today said, “…The NEP…has produced results that are diametrically opposed to the original intention of bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots.” — file pic
“If the doctor keeps on prescribing the same medicine which produces opposite results, then something must be wrong with the doctor, and something more serious must be wrong with the patient who keeps on trusting the same doctor.

“Our thinking is based completely on a racial world view when it comes to matters of politics, education, economics, planning, and so forth. Needless to say, we promote a racial world view that thrives on the policy of divide and rule,” the Kelantan prince said at a book launch in Ipoh this morning.

Tengku Razaleigh, popularly known as Ku Li, had in February said “as a former finance minister, let me emphasise that it was never the intention of the NEP to create an incubated class of Malay capitalists.”

His statement further fuelled scrutiny of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s policies after the Najib administration decided to settle out of court the RM589 million debt owed by former Malaysia Airline System Bhd (MAS) chief Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli.

The settlement sum was undisclosed, prompting intense public criticism and attacks from the opposition over the right of taxpayers to know the amount of public funds recovered.

Tajudin, 65, had served as the airline’s executive chairman from 1994 to 2001 and was a poster boy of former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin’s now-discredited policy of nurturing a class of Malay corporate captains on government largesse during the Mahathir administration.

Ku Li, one of the greatest critics of the NEP and Dr Mahathir’s handling of the policy, had challenged the long-serving prime minister for leadership of Umno in 1987, which he subsequently lost by a narrow margin.

He said in his speech today that the country’s education system does “not encourage the moral and intellectual reform of the mind” resulting in a lack of debate on major issues such as good governance, corruption and rule of law.

“To this very day, the electorate has not understood the implications of the NEP which has produced results that are diametrically opposed to the original intention of bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The longer we try the policy, the further we are from the original goal.

“The discrepancy between vision and reality has taken an alarming turn. It has gone far beyond economics into the realm of ethics and morality. In numerous instances it has taken the form of corruption and decadence which has pushed the economy further down the drain,” he said.

He said “wanton corruption and wasteful spending” had resulted in spiralling national debt that now amounts to RM456 billion or 53 per cent of the GDP, which “if we are not careful, it won’t take us long before we become another Greece

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Make yourself clear Tengku . . .

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism (UNHCR Article 1)
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy. (UNHCR Article 18)
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (UNHCR Article 1)

ARTICLE 4

62 years and years well spent – NO HOLDS BARRED – Friday, 30 March 2012 Super Admin (RPK)

Maybe this is a dream, and a dream that can never come true. However, as the late Tun Ghafar said, we all must have dreams. Only dead people no longer have dreams, said Tun Ghafar. As long as are still alive then we shall certainly have dreams, Tun Ghafar argued. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream at a time when dogs had a higher status than African-Americans. And, today, that dream eventually saw a non-white become the President of the United States. Is it wrong, therefore, to dream of a Chinese Prime Minister of Malaysia?

NO HOLDS BARRED – Raja Petra Kamarudin

Another weekend will soon be upon us — a week gone and a week closer to our graves. Friends have told me that my articles of late have been very morbid. Actually, thinking about death remind us about the journey we have travelled and what awaits us at the end of that journey. It is good to reflect on whether we have achieved anything or whether we have wasted our entire life.

My first 21 years were wasted in trying to get an education. Yes, 21 good years wasted sitting in a boring classroom when I could have learned more on the streets of Kuala Lumpur. However, it was not a total loss. At age 11, I got caught up in the 1960s Revolution. Today, that era is known as The Sixties. It was the era when changes swept the world. I lived through that era. I was part of it. I experienced it. And that is probably why the spirit of change flows through my veins.

We had the Vietnam War. We had Woodstock. We had the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. We had the Cuban Missile Crisis. We had Marilyn Monroe and President Kennedy who brought glamour to the White House. We had Muhammad Ali who brought glamour to boxing and Islam and who was arrested for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War. We had the anti-Vietnam War university student protests in the hundreds of thousands in the US, France, Germany and Italy. We had the India-Pakistan War. We had the Six Days War between the Arabs and Israel. We had the Cultural Revolution in China. We had the North Ireland conflict. We had Gay Rights Movements springing up all over the world, the result of the Stonewall riots in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City. We had Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington. We had the Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. We had the March on Washington. We had Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. We had the construction of the Berlin Wall. We had British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan deliver his “Wind of Change” speech. We had the assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and many more all over the world. We had the Hells Angels in the US. We had the Rockers in England. We had the Mersey side music revolution in Liverpool. We had Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendix, Joe Cocker, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Uriah Heep, Grand Funk, Cream, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Bob Marley, Santana, Joan Baez, Ravi Shankar, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Yoko Ono, and many, many more.

Phew, my brain is bursting just trying to remember every significant event and person of the 1960s. I think I just managed to scratch the surface with my list above. Closer to home, we had the Pudu Jail demonstration and the first time I ever experienced the pain of tear gas (yeap, I was there). We had the demonstration in front of the USIS where one chap was shot dead. We saw Umno almost brought down. And, of course, we had May 13.

The 1960s was also when I met the first love of my life. Actually, to be honest, I had four loves in my life. The first was my wife Marina, who I met when she was 14 and I 17, and the other three were my Honda 350, Honda 450 and Yamaha 650 — not necessarily in that order of priority.

THE FOUR LOVES OF MY LIFE

The 1960s certainly moulded me into what I am today. Okay, I admit, I did not mould into a perfect human being. I mean, when I transferred my education from the classroom to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, I discovered that the Long Fu Tong was more exciting than the rugby team. I discovered that fistfights solved arguments better than debates and gang fights are more fun than track and field events. I discovered that if you can’t avoid a bike crash then smile as you go under and go out in style — I had 12 bike crashes in the 1960s and lost as many comrades due to bike crashes, all spectacular, I must add. Further to that, about ten or so comrades were murdered in gangland wars and ambushes.

I really don’t know how I survived the 1960s when, with my lifestyle, the odds of living past 21 were very slim. Anyway, enough talk about the events of the 1960s. Let’s move to the 1970s. That was when my father died and I was forced to wise up to the reality that life is not just about partying, fighting and racing at breakneck speed along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. With my father now gone I had to go out and earn a living and the following year Marina and I got married. Two years later, we moved to Kuala Terengganu to start our own business. And that was when my life changed — not sure whether for the better, though.

In Kuala Terengganu, I ‘discovered’ Islam and almost immediately became a Muslim fundamentalist. I aspired to see Malaysia turned into an Islamic State. I became the chairman of our local mosque in Kuala Ibai (I brought Bernard Khoo, Haris Ibrahim and the rest of the gang to visit that mosque in 2008 during the Kuala Terengganu by-election). I participated in the anti-Saudi-anti-American demonstration in Mecca. And, for the first time, I met the late Ustaz Fadzil Noor, the President of PAS (this was in Mecca together with Ustaz Hadi Awang, Mustafa Ali and a couple of other PAS leaders).

My Mecca trip and the meeting with Ustaz Fadzil were not long after Anwar Ibrahim joined Umno in 1982. Ustaz Fadzil and I spent hours talking into the wee hours of the morning about politics, Islam, and the ‘betrayal’ by Anwar Ibrahim. Surprisingly, Ustaz Fadzil was more tolerant about what I viewed as Anwar’s betrayal. Ustaz Fadzil said that there are many ways to fight. Some have to fight from the outside and some from the inside. And while we may want to fight from the outside, Anwar has chosen to fight from the inside. So we must give him the benefit of the doubt that he sincerely joined Umno to change Umno from the inside.

Ustaz Hadi and Mustafa were not that convinced, though. You can’t jump into the tong taik to clean the shit from the inside, they argued. Instead of cleaning the shit, you will get shit on you. Anwar will never be able to change Umno, they said. Instead, Umno will change him. I could see why Ustaz Hadi and Mustafa were considered the ‘Young Turks’ while Ustaz Fadzil was perceived as the diplomat.

Nevertheless, I had tremendous respect for Ustaz Fadzil and listened to what he said. Hence, as Ustaz Fadzil suggested, I was prepared to give Anwar the benefit of the doubt, and although I was with PAS and he with Umno, I supported him and campaigned for him when he contested the Umno Youth leadership. Actually there were three contests in all — twice against Suhaimi Kamaruddin and once against Syed Hamid Albar. Then, in 1993, Anwar challenged Tun Ghafar Baba for the Umno Deputy Presidency. After ten years of supporting Anwar, I decided to walk away. I felt it was wrong for Anwar to oust Ghafar. Our struggle was not about power but to try to change Umno, from the inside as what we were told. Now it appeared like it was all about seeking power.

The rest of my story has been told many times before so maybe I do not need to repeat it. Suffice to say, I kept searching for the right platform to seek change. The 1960s was a different era for me. It was an era of challenging authority, of opposing the establishment, the age of protest. The 1970s was about Islam. The 1980s was about making money and to hell with the world. The 1990s was about reforms and about seeing change in Malaysia (yes, we started our fight even before Anwar was kicked out of Umno and jailed in 1998). The 2000s was about challenging Umno and Barisan Nasional and about seeing a strong opposition and the emergence of a two-party system.

So now we come to the 2010s. What is the struggle of the 2010s to me? The 2010s is about peoples’ power. It is about taking back the fight for change from the hands of the politicians and giving it back to the people. It is about bringing the 2010s back to the era of the 1960s when the people made a difference and the people were that platform for change.

Maybe this is a dream, and a dream that can never come true. However, as the late Tun Ghafar said, we all must have dreams. Only dead people no longer have dreams, said Tun Ghafar. As long as are still alive then we shall certainly have dreams, Tun Ghafar argued. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream at a time when dogs had a higher status than African-Americans. And, today, that dream eventually saw a non-white become the President of the United States. Is it wrong, therefore, to dream of a Chinese Prime Minister of Malaysia?

I have reflected on the various stages of my journey in life — the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s, and now the 2010s. I have changed course many times, I admit. I have changed platforms more than once. But my destination has never changed. From the 1960s till now, for almost 50 years, it has always been about challenging authority, about fighting the establishment, and about daring to be different.

I was the only Malay amongst hordes of Chinese running down Jalan Pudu to protest the hanging of the Chinese prisoners who had killed a Malay warder in Pudu Jail. I was the only Malaysian amongst 100,000 Iranians protesting against Saudi Arabia and the US along the main street of Mecca. I was also in the demonstration that protested the relocation of the Damansara Chinese school.

I liked to do what others would not do. And I am still doing what others would not do, and would not approve to boot. That’s me. And nothing is going to change the way I think and the way I do things. I am a product of the 1960s. I was moulded in the 1960s. We may have left the 1960s, but the 1960s has not left me. You can take me out of the 1960s but you can’t take the 1960s out of me. That is my 62 years and years well spent as far as I am concerned.

Death will be upon us all in due time. It is only a matter of when that time would be. We must not regret our deaths. What we must regret is how we lived our lives. Have we lived the life we wanted to live or have we lived the life that others expected of us? I do not live up to other peoples’ expectations, I know. But that is only because I do not wish to do so. What I wish is to live the life that pleases me. And what pleases me may not please others. Tough!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

RPK said : ‘I liked to do what others would not do. And I am still doing what others would not do, and would not approve to boot. That’s me. And nothing is going to change the way I think and the way I do things. I am a product of the 1960s. I was moulded in the 1960s. We may have left the 1960s, but the 1960s has not left me. You can take me out of the 1960s but you can’t take the 1960s out of me. That is my 62 years and years well spent as far as I am concerned.’

Like Bumi-Apartheid cannot be taken out of the system? RPK is indeed out of touch. So would any other Sultan’s kid from that era have these opportunities. No big deal. Not even mid 60s and when a old woman like Maimun at 86 can run for MP. RPK’s reminiscing and hiding in England is but a sad joke. Fund a few proxies and lead for the next 2 or even 3 decades (thats 5 GEs), not spew rubbish here and displaying a privileged side. Now if everyone else will step aside, there are empires that need raising . . .

Malaysia truly stagnant . . . if RPK ‘liked to do what others would not do’, then RPK should condemn Apartheid and lack of religious freedom in Malaysia. Being in England safe from persecution or legal retaliation, and comfortably funded, RPK sure says very little that is ‘what others would not do’. Toeing the line while pretending to be a rebel and ignoring UNHCR Article 1, UNHCR Article 18 and Section 377B, amongst others . . . just pitiful when already so powerfully backed.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not practise what he preaches as he had promised that the Penang state government would look after the interest of the people by not allowing any places of worship to be demolished. However, the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) had demolished the Tua Pek Kong temple in Butterworth without facing any objections by the state government, contrary to what has been promised.

Besides Penang, other states under Pakatan Rakyat, such as Kedah and Selangor, are also responsible for demolishing Chinese and Hindu temples alike, thus causing discontent among the people towards the state governments.

On 29 Mar 12, Guan Eng informed that the state government would not allow land marked for schools and places of worship to disappear. However, we know his words don’t hold water.

Guan Eng hasn’t prevented mosque land from disappearing

Regarding the complaints by UMNO Youth that land for a mosque has been given away, Guan Eng had changed his words by saying that when the 102.6 acres of land was sold by open tender, there was no sub-division of title but the entire piece is to be sold. He also claimed that the developer will only do sub-division of title after submission of new plans to MPPP for approval.

As such, Guan Eng argues that since the proposal and the sub-division of the land title has not even been approved, UMNO Youth cannot claim that the mosque land has disappeared.

But if Guan Eng can claim that the land is not considered disappeared if it has not been sold, thus he can only be blamedafter the land has been sold. Guan Eng has not taken any action in preventing land marked as a place of worship from being transferred and can only give confirmation after the sale. Therefore, if the land can be sold, then there will not be any land reserved for places for place of worship.

If Guan Eng does not know how to be a good government, he should learn from Johor whereby the Barisan Nasional state government would specify clearly any land which is reserved for religious places of worship or schools in any housing development project.

As Penang Chief Minister, Guan Eng is insincere on preserving reserved lands and would only secretly learn from the BN government once people start complaining about his misleading actions.

Cases of temples destroyed under Pakatan govts

Besides Penang where the Tua Pek Kong temple in Butterworth was demolished, a Hindu temple and a Chinese temple was also torn down in Sungai Petani, Kedah. In Selangor, a Hindu temple which was demolished in Ampang had caused the Hindu community to demonstrate peacefully in front of the Selangor state government building.

Thus it can be seen that Pakatan Rakyat has been misleading the people by saying that the temple would be rebuilt as these promises are nothing more than an act.

TEE SIEW KIONG is MCA National Organising Secretary

(The views expressed above belongs to the author in its entirety and does not represent the opinion of Malaysian Mirror in any way)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

If the MP or Assemblyman loves their faith too much, they will make terrible leaders (that may keep this fact hidden by smiling and acting in public) as their agenda will not be neutral, and will be slanted to their personal preferences. They will first favour their family (nepotists) then their faith (fundo) and will sacrifice every other citizen 9including their own coalition members – think Teo Beng Hock – think Karpal’s lawsuit against Anwar via very likely UN illegal Section 377B). Already unable to keep campaign promises like Local Council Elections, and declare MP and assemplyperson assets, and now not even able to address APARTHEID, the Rakyat should know that only NEUTRAL non-party candidates are a safe choice. As of now, 3rd Force is the best choice, BN is too racist and lapdog, Pakatan is too nepotistic and fundo. By unqualified reports, some of that faction’s people also are inclined to use DRUGS or LSD or other rubbish on the local population while posing as good ‘religious’ citizens, alongside contaminating the water with fluoride (they haven’t stopped) and perhaps use even psychotropic substances to control their supporters.

Potential 3rd Force Parties are :

KITA, JATI, ABU, MCLM (whats left of it, but homophobes could find it a good party that has 20 candidates), PCM, Borneo Front, Konsensus Bebas, HRP/Hindraf and PSM maybe SUPP if SUPP wakes up (much like MCA/MIC and Gerakan will not) and perhaps SAPP and LDP . . .

And any independent candidates as in the list below who can CLEARLY take up the above 3 items (not like mealy mouthed Pakatan who looks preferring to keep the entire term limitless, apartheid system ion place to benefit themselves) . . . :

4) Auntie Bersih 2.0 Annie Ooi Siew Lan (so far basking in limelight for being old but not yet running for candidacy)

5) Another Auntie Bersih 2.0 the high profile one Ambiga Sreenevasan (who struck down rightful Perak MB Nizar while Bar Council President during BN’s 11th term)

6) any plutocrats out there with a conscience ready to fund some 99%ters (especially Malays) to run on the above 3 items .

PM Najib is inclined to use of apartheid and religion as a wealth stealing tool with religion as a political tool of control but are less fundo per se, though greedy and corrupt especially when politically strong. Of course PM Najib could make things easy for himself and everyone to decide how to vote and grant :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — DAP MP Tony Pua today accused the Health Ministry of being insincere in its promise to explain “1 Care” to Malaysians, pointing to the four-day notice given for the first of its nationwide roadshow this Saturday.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP claimed that notices on the 10.30am event was just distributed to healthcare professionals today and offered little time to concerned stakeholders to arrange to be there.

If the notice was to be published in the newspapers tomorrow, the public would only have three days’ notice.

“I feel this is an insincere act by the ministry, because if they truly want to collect feedback from Malaysians and industry players, they need to give a longer notice,” he said at a press conference in Parliament today.

Pua said there would be “limited seating” for the event, to be held at the Healthcare Management Institution in Bangsar.

“From what I know, there are no more than 100 seats available there,” he said.

According to the notice, those interested to attend would have to register through email at daftarforum@moh.gov.my.

“I hope all concerned parties will attend this forum and record their opposition to 1 Care,” he said.

Dr Wan Azizah: Doctors concerned.

The ministry earlier this month said it would tour the country to explain and engage on healthcare plans after the opposition demanded it reveal details and the status of the 1 Care scheme.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail charged that the roadshow was an “afterthought”, mooted only after strong public opposition.

She said it was surprising Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had waited until after the issue hit the headlines before engaging the public. She questioned Liow’s sincerity.

“Like other BN pronouncements such as the SBPA (Public Service Remuneration Scheme), it seems consultation is only an afterthought,” Dr Wan Azizah said.

“We have received complaints from doctors involved in previous consultations on 1 Care that there was no true engagement or dialogue involved. The government is set to continue with 1 Care.”

Dr Wan Azizah, who served as a government doctor for 14 years before entering politics, urged Liow to end his silence on the opposition’s suggestion on what should be done to improve the healthcare system.

1 Care has come under fire from healthcare practitioners and the public, who claim that individuals and businesses will be forced to hand over 10 per cent of their earnings each month to the government-run insurance fund.

The scheme is expected to replace the current two-tier healthcare system with one that integrates private and government hospitals in the hope of ensuring more equitable healthcare for Malaysians of all classes.

Under the present system, patients can choose to be treated at private clinics or hospitals and pay out of their own pockets, or opt for government clinics or hospitals, paying a nominal fee for basic, federally subsidised healthcare.

The ministry has assured critics that the 1 Care scheme will not burden the public with undue costs. Talks are continuing on the financial arrangements and their impact on the government and taxpayers.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Tony is no less insincere by keeping mum about unkept campaign promises (Local Council Elections, MP asset declarations, continuance of Bumi-Apartheid) by Pakatan Rakyat as if everything is fine and disparaging on comparatively non-issues like Healthcare compared to Bumi-Apartheid while ‘Family Bloc Azizah’ acts as if all citizens are equals this day.

Equality is not important, but arguing about healthcare is?

Points scorers are not MPs, more so family bloc MPs. Will someone from Tony Pua’s and Azizah’s constituency PLEASE challenge this political seat as an independent? Supporters of nepotism (PR’s family blocs) are as unpleasant as racists (BN’s unequal policy UNHCR Article 1 non-compliant maintainers). No self respecting politician will tolerate DAP’s term limitless and nepotistic behaviour and Tony Pua much like a Goh Chok Tong to LKY in PAP Singapore, is as lapdog (and ready to betray citizens by toeing party lines – DAP is not a democratic or ethical political party, nepotistic and term limitless, fails to keep campaign promises, abuses by-laws etc.. . . . ) as politicians go.

There are many interesting implications inherent in the topic of my address to you today: Malaysia: The Future is in Our Hands. The rakyat is reminded that he is master, and that he holds the key to the future of this land.

Ladies and gentlemen,

When I say the future is in your hands, I am not referring to the lines on your palm. I am saying the future is in your hands because it is with these hands that you are going to elect the people who will represent your best interest in the government.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Some people told me that we are poised on the cusp of change, and the choice that you make is significant, perhaps not so much for you as for your children, grand children and great-grand children. To put it another way, the future of innocent children yet unborn for generations to come is in your hands.

In other words, it is not the King who will decide the future for us, it is not what the Prime Ministers want that will be of any consequence. It is not the VVIPs or the so-called political analysts who are going to decide the future of our land. It is you, and here I include the ordinary citizens of the country, meaning the farmer, the teacher, the petty trader, stall keeper, the trishaw puller, the watchman, the bread man and even the unemployed vagrant who is going to decide the destiny of our children.

The issue of choice is sacrosanct to human beings who have been endowed with free will. You are born to be free. It is not for the government or the opposition to decide whether you should be free or not. Remember, nobody can dictate your choice unless you let him.

Therefore, more sacrosanct than any other day is the day of election. It is a day when you will hold the country’s future in your hands. In fact, no other election has been so much talked about and anticipated with as much anxiety and expectations as the forthcoming elections. The coming election appears so important that it may be likened to the ‘battle of the century’ for our country.

There are many Malaysians who complain about the government but are not registered voters. They make loud comments but lack the will to make a difference. They do not commit themselves wholeheartedly to seek change and to exercise their voting rights to choose a better government.

Your future is in your hands and if you fail to treasure the right, and exercise the right with wisdom, then you and no one else is to blame for your own destiny. As the Qur’an says in chapter 13, verse 11:

“Truly, God does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in themselves”.

Now the next issue is, are we able to exercise our mind with wisdom?

Unfortunately, as a people and as a nation, we are not able to do so. We are born free, but our minds have become captive.

In our country, the problem of the captive mind has its origins in the race dilemma to an extent that we have become incapable of devising an analytical method independent of current stereotypes about Malays, Chinese, Indians and the others. Our thinking is based completely on a racial world view when it comes to matters of politics, education, economics, planning, and so forth.

Needless to say, we promote a racial world view that thrives on the policy of divide and rule.

The citizens of the land are exiting the country in large numbers, and the gap is filled, not by people with equivalent skills and potentials, but by unskilled labour from abroad. Public universities have no places for locals, but they are absorbing large numbers of foreign students. It is sad that our own people should be deprived of the benefits of a good education – a resource that has been described as the global currency of 21st century economies.

And yet education is seen as the best solution to the economic uncertainties of the times, as it enables our people to compete, collaborate and connect in a way that drives our economies forward. And today, we have the captive mind, the product largely of our education system, which has failed to generate its opposite, the creative mind. The captive mind feeds on trivia and fragmented knowledge, and students are not taught to be philosophical, universal or intercultural.

Our educational curricula do not encourage the moral and intellectual reform of the mind. If we look west, we find that the development of education took place as part and parcel of the evolution of society and civilization as a whole. But in our own case, the education system has failed to impart the fundamentals of scientific thinking and reasoning in relation to our own society.

Captive minds tend to avoid major issues such as the concept of good governance, meaning of development, the effect of corruption on society and the rule of law.

Again, as it stands today, in the area of economy, there is no honest intellectual inquiry to find out why, despite many years of implementing the New Economic Policy, inequitable distribution of income continues to plague the people, and why we are lagging behind countries that do not have as much resources.

To this very day, the electorate has not understood the implications of the New Economic Policy which has produced results that are diametrically opposed to the original intention of bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The longer we try the policy, the further we are from the original goal.

If the doctor keeps on prescribing the same medicine which produces opposite results, then something must be wrong with the doctor, and something more serious must be wrong with the patient who keeps on trusting the same doctor.

Today, the discrepancy between vision and reality has taken on an alarming turn. It has gone far beyond economics into the realm of ethics and morality. In numerous instances it has taken the form of corruption and decadence which has pushed the economy further down the drain.

Today, we are saddled with a spiraling national debt brought to exist by wanton corruption and wasteful spending. It is feared that in relation to Singapore which is free of foreign debts, if we are not careful, it won’t take us long before we become another Greece. The problem continues to escalate, despite being highlighted by the Auditor General year after year in his annual reports. It has been estimated that we can easily save RM25-30bn without changing any of the deliverables if only we can get rid of corruption and cronyism.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Professor Alatas once said that we have different types of governments such as democracy, autocracy, theocracy, and so forth, and now we need to describe our government as one that keeps the people ignorant. According to him, we need to use new terms such as “ignocracy” to describe a government that wants to keep the people ignorant.

And yet for a democracy to succeed it is of cardinal importance for us to make informed choices.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have the power to cast away our misfortune by casting our votes for the right candidates. But our captive minds are unable to guide our hands in making the right choices for our future and the future of our children.

When I say that the future is in your hands, it is not merely a reference to your individual role as a voter. I must add that the future is in your hands in a larger collective sense. In those days, the duty to educate and inform was left to educators and writers, as well as the government. Today we can longer trust them to act as purveyors of truth.

It has become our responsibility to hold the future in our own hands. In this effort, we are thankful for the new technology which has flung open the doors of democracy, making it easier for us to organize and share information.

Therefore, through our efforts at educating and promoting political consciousness, let us hope that the people of this country, in the rural and urban areas alike, will cast away their slumber, and wake up to greet the dawn of a new day, as we did fifty five years ago when the Tunku called this nation into being in the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful, a nation that “ever seeks the welfare of its people”.

TENGKU RAZALEIGH HAMZAH
Speech at the “Road Map For Achieving Vision 2020” Book Launch Ceremony at Syuen Hotel, Ipoh on 1st April 2012

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Dyed in wool politician or some speech writer generalizing some feel good stuff again. Generalisations in a positive voice. But being in UMNO, well, one can barely hope and from among Malays and royals and determine who is votable, the choices are ever fewer . . . A personal consideration much needed or gentle remonstration is no end of apartheid, will not reach the thick and communal minded – unless also tacit approval of an untenable policy – AGAIN. Independent candidates without any party roots still look the best though, while Tengku Razaleigh and Ong Tee Keat appear to be the only people in BN who could CONDEMN the Apartheid of Bumiputra, lets not get our hopes too high for these 2 guys. Also the term limitless issue looms, yet will Tengku not use that mandate to best effect than merely holding political power without distribution the same by ending apartheid, updating laws, than fetting of ordinary and least educated citizens most uunsuited and disinclined to act against apartheid while casting aside the all important :

1) the Agong (King) who CAN denounce and revoke Special Malay Privileges as well as address the issue of Asabiya
2) the Prime Minister who can galvanise and use the mandate of so many lapdogs which constitutte a simple majority to END APARTHEID and allow UNHCR Article 18 (Malaysian Constitution Article 11)
3) the VVIPs who can sway opinion by adopting right minded stances and arbitrate via the powers they hold (i.e AG, Judiciary, Bar Council – the LEGAL JUNTA) to grant below listed 3 items, as well as MP VVIPS who can demand the end of apartheid or extreme religion
4) the so-called political analysts who can can sway opinion by adopting right minded stances and propagate the same via word and personal influence

;Freudian slip noticed anyone? Tengku, it would almost seem you speak with 2 tongues, promoting those unable to conceive what is wrong with the nation as the main deciders of fate (leading to stagnation) while disenfranchising those with wide powers and ethos to institute the logos of :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution.

‘3 times ladies and gentlemen’ were used, but a platitude without substance and meaning, as the above reasons cannot displace the strength of universality of the 3 items above, even as Voltarian physical/spiritual rights can NEVER be challenged by a concept so poorly and mean (after the initial 15 years at least in any rate) as Bumiputera Apartheid, which is merely corporeal and base minded economics.

One can only hope that a man of Tengku’s age is flexible enough of understanding to comprehend the above, even as younger people like Raja Petra have already become purveyors of wrongful, un-Islamic and UNHCR incongrous stands. Try harder, and sad to say I recommend that the until Tengku is able to reconcile the issue of Humanity, existential angst at disenfranchisement via Bumiputra Apartheid, with tacit approval of apartheid policy, that the farmer, the teacher, the petty trader, stall keeper, the trishaw puller, the watchman, the bread man and even the unemployed vagrant DO NOT vote for Tengku until Tengku has reconsidered this possibly hasty (taking wrong stances . . . though so quietly) and guarded (against political assassins?) article.

Even if abstruse in promulgation, there can be no justification for this quietly pro-Bumi/Special Privileges (long expired by Reid Commission btw) stance Tengku. Speak to UN Sec.Gen. Ban Ki Moon, Martin Luther King III, or even Pres. Obama Hussein. Mankind needs for at least Malay Royals to display exceptionalism in this raising of Constitution and Law to that of full equality via removal of Special Privileges and Bumi-policy. Asabiya is indeed too entrenched in BN, though PR has little inclination but political survival. All above parties mentioned, study the UNHCR Article 1 and Surah An Nisa 75, then vote for the politicians that can abide by these 2 civilisational/religious value based laws that will make Malaysia a first world country.

‘Malaysia: The Future Is In Our Hands!’ hopefully is not an NLP somehow representative the Royal Collective’s stance via Tengku’s background, very disappointing otherwise.

And just after Malaysia and China jointly build a industrial park in Qinzhou, China with a sister park in Malaysia mooted . . . and Malays still want Special Privileges? Will Tengku say that this was an April Fool’s joke that was given to some PA to prepare? If so, will the false writer of this article own up and claim credit, (yes poor ghost writers if that is not Tengku writing as an April Fools joke?) otherwise another apex classer is displaying ‘out of touch’ again . . .

UNHCR Article 1

All human beings are born *free* and *equal* in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Surah An Nisa 4:75

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, “Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a *protector* and appoint for us from Yourself a *helper*?”

Some help here PM Najib? The minorities need a *helper* to end the Apartheid of Bumiputera and grant Equality to all Malaysians . . . Allah would approve and only the PM of a Muslim country could gain the merit of acting in the capacity of a Quran mentioned (though not specific) Muslim (even to the benefit of non-Muslims as the Prophet PBUH would have doubtless done) . . .

While I respect the right of the audience who had gathered at New Era College on 25 March 2012 or better known by its acronym “325 assembly” organised by the United Chinese School Commitees Association (Dong Zong) to rally against shortage of Chinese-educated teachers for Chinese schools, I wish to point out that restraint must be practised at all times, no matter how emotional speeches maybe, or the atmosphere leading up to and during the event.

Newspaper headlines and online news portals have reported that one protestor had even thrown a punch against the Deputy Minister of Education cum MCA Youth chairman Datuk Dr Ir Wee Ka Siong.

The supporters may voice their grievances. They have every right to a differing opinion from that of the federal government or the Education Ministry or Barisan Nasional. But they should never resort to harassment and getting physical against any individual. To do so, is to completely abuse freedom of expression, and disrespecting the rights of individuals to personal safety.

Situation could have spiraled out of control

Dr Wee and the police and bodyguards should be commended for not reacting against the assailant but remaining composed at all times. The situation could have grown out of hand with more damage incurred if there were any on-the-spot retaliation.

Pakatan’s hypocrisy

More than a dozen Pakatan Rakyat leaders like PKR Secretary General Saifudin Nasution and lawmakers and excos like Tian Chua and Teresa Kok present at the protest should be condemned for not appealing to the crowd to exercise physical control and restraint. Indirectly, they have contributed to the heckling and attempted physical assault against Dr Wee.

Todate, why is there still no criticism by Pakatan legislators against the action of physical intimation by the protestor? If they do not accept heckling from the audience, why did Pakatan leaders in attendance not address the crowds advising them to be rational and behave calmly?

Sheer hypocrisy radiates from Pakatan leaders who on one hand preach the right to freedom of expression, right to assembly, but do nothing to ensure the right to personal security or to respect a differing opinion.

Pakatan Rakyat pattern to condone heckling against BN leaders

It appears to be a trend for Pakatan leaders to condone public jeering, verbal abuse where physical safety of any BN leader is put at stake. Only about 10 days ago where a discourse on women’s issues was held in Penang to which Wanita MCA Penang chief Sdri Tan Cheng Liang was subject to loud taunts from the audience thereby interrupting her presentation, Wanita DAP’s Chong Eng did not rebuke nor appeal to the audience not to be disruptive or rude.

Commendable of MCA Youth leaders to be present

Recognition must be given to Dr Wee as well as MCA Youth Education Bureau chief Sdr Chong Sin Woon for attending the rally despite the partisan fervour of the audience. If they were absent from the rally, Pakatan leaders would have had a field day deriding MCA as snubbing the event. Their presence despite the highly-charged atmosphere indicates that MCA Youth listens to grouses from the ground irrespective of political affiliation. MCA Youth is with the masses.

Instead of merely jeering Dr Wee, the audience should allow time and opportunity for the 8-point formula prepared by the Education Ministry’s committee on addressing teacher shortage in Chinese schools headed by Dr Wee to work. To be dismissive of the measures undertaken by the Education Ministry without even giving time to see the results means one is already clouded with biasedness and will fault-find no matter how much effort is initiated.

Perak Executive Councillor for Health, Local Government and Environment

COmmentator Responses :

Tuesday, 27 March 2012 02:51 posted by F. O.

MCA, how much more time do you want to be given to solve the issue? You have been given 54 years, and you let the standard of facilities and extent of govt, support for Chinese and Tamil schools to be deteriorated year after year. What more time do yo want.?? Enough is enough. Get out come this GE 13th.

Tuesday, 27 March 2012 00:03 posted by Agent Orange

“It appears to be a trend for Pakatan leaders to condone public jeering, verbal abuse where physical safety of any BN leader is put at stake.”

Mah you fcuking idiot, wah, BN leader so important? All of you are just dirty crooked politicians. Many people are extremely happy with the unexpected cold reception your Wee hypocrite received and deserved. You still don’t get it, do you? After GE12, you arrogant assholes at MCA still don’t get it, isn’t it? You never will, I guess.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Why was MCA and Wee attacked? MCA has attacked ALL the minorities by encouraging continuance of apartheid from remaining in BN. Wee and MCA is a symbol of apartheid – ‘si mata sepet’ versions of ‘Uncle Toms’ if anything. Shouldn’t such symbols know what they are? Some of these grassroots don’t communicate well, the hazards of taking bad political decisions (staying in BN instead of leaving apartheid BN and leading 3rd Force despite having so much wealth . . . ) are exactly as expressed by these angry citizens. Minorities races in Malaysia and worldwide seek :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects

ARTICLE 2

Home to a rules-based Penang, says CM – By K.C. Boey – March 27, 2012

Malaysians and former Malaysians listen to Lim at the Chinese Association of Victoria on March 25, 2012. — Pictures by K.C. Boey
MELBOURNE, March 27 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng returned home today assured of the attractiveness of the state as a destination for investors, and of the mood for change among Malaysians in Melbourne.

Lim was in Melbourne from Friday leading a delegation to promote Penang as an investment and tourist destination, and on a drive to recruit talent among Malaysian professionals and business.

He inaugurated Penang Festival as a strategic partner of Fiesta Malaysia as officials of InvestPenang and its Career Assistance and Training (CAT) Centre updated students, professionals, and Australian and Malaysian business on developments and the thrust of industrial strategies in Penang.

“Business in Victoria were receptive to the prospects of linkages between them and industry in Penang,” Lim summed up his three-day visit to The Malaysian Insider.

Among the indications to him was participation at a business briefing he presented, co-hosted by the Victorian Department of Business and Innovation and the Australia Malaysia Business Council (AMBC) Victoria.

Victoria Governor Alex Chernov hosted a dinner attended by government and industry leaders. Present were Victorian Minister for Technology and Minister responsible for Aviation Gordon Rich-Phillips, and head of Linfox logistics group Lindsay Fox.

At the AMBC briefing, Lim was reminded of the state of industry in Victoria, reliant on upscaling its manufacturing in the two-speed economy of Australia against states endowed with mineral resources.

Lim, a graduate of economics and accountancy from Melbourne’s Monash University, sympathised with the needs of the Victorian economy, raising the prospects for complementarity between the two states.

Lim and Mohamad Rameez (right) at the AMBC briefing.
Penang, as with Victoria, lacked natural resources. Both had to build on their human talent to be competitive to better internationalise in engaging globally. There were prospects to strengthen the value chain in the respective economies by building on global supply chain, without either having to relocate industry.

Victoria had strengths in research and development in high-level manufacturing sectors such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and solar energy that lent themselves to collaborative partnerships.

Lim cited the success of American industry Honeywell developing avionics in Penang for Boeing’s Dreamliner aircraft.

Penang is the most active among Pakatan-ruled states to look outwards for investment. With six per cent of Malaysia’s population, it accounts for 36 per cent of foreign direct investment.

Penang has been successful in winning investment from Singapore, and Lim is encouraged by response from Hong Kong, with the increasing number of daily direct flights between Hong Kong and Penang.

Lim speaking to Malaysians at the Chinese Association of Victoria.
Lim said the aim was to transform Penang into an international and intelligent city. Just as Melbourne was the cultural and sporting capital of Australia, Penang was likewise in Malaysia.

Among those on the Governor’s dinner guest list was Penny Hutchinson, director of Arts Victoria. On Lim’s itinerary was an afternoon with Parks Victoria and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne, where he was given an overview of parks and garden management.

At each of his stops, Lim spoke about Penang’s green credentials. He hoped to initiate exchanges with Parks Victoria that would help support the Penang Botanic Gardens and facilitate a greener and cleaner Penang.

Of his visits abroad, Lim, who is secretary-general of DAP, acknowledged the co-operation of federal agencies in their foreign postings such as those from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra).

Turning to Consul-General in Melbourne Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, who was with Lim at the AMBC briefing as well as at Fiesta Malaysia, he said: “When we are outside the country, we are all Malaysians.”

At a meeting with more than 200 Malaysians last night, Lim shared Pakatan’s vision of rules-based governance, and allayed them of any concerns.

“It is time to stop racial and religious division,” he said. “At heart, we are all Malaysians.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Rules (laws and constitution) which are undemocratic or reduce Human Rights are meant to be broken (or legally challenged), and those amendments to bad and oft abused by-laws have not been implemented by DAP while DAP uses the same bad laws to abuse the people with. And not a word on apartheid? “It is time to stop racial and religious division,” is far too oblique for any racist to hear. Foolish and petty minded nepotist. At 66.6% quorums LGE would never have been CM. This man’s presence is an insult to democracy and the voters, who had no choice in deciding who should be CM.

The detected mood for change is that from DAP’s abuses and neglect of real issues. Any 2 bit factory owner or local assembly level politician can organize such a sit in. But glory hog here wants to meet the Bunyips. A real CM would be filing lawsuits or leading MLK style marches against APARTHEID. Use that CM’s mandate LKS (LGE’s father) nepotistically gave LGE ! This CM is a total fail in democracy, not much different from KTK who was not nepotistic but ‘totally lapdog’ instead. If the minorities wanted a business investment company CEO we wouldn’t need DAP to host such stupid meetings. Waste of political mandate. And lowers the standard of what CMs should do.

On Lim’s itinerary was an afternoon with Parks Victoria and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne, where he was given an overview of parks and garden management.

LGE thinks he’s white now? Well along with England and the other colonies, much change will be arriving in the form of 3rd Force (barring the lack of guts). PAP is rubbish, DAP is less than rubbish. Where are the real minority leaders that will ask for equality? Step forth and depose this product of nepotism! Trading in business populism, not even political populism, instead of common sense. Here’s your Malaysian yellow ‘Uncle Tom’ (to foreign powers in this case) much like LKY has typified the part for decades . . . keep partying in Australia on taxpayer funds while APARTHEID exists and keep abusing powers instead of amending laws, what happened to Wee should happen to LGE next . . . politicians are supposed to make life easier for the Rakyat then bow out after 2 terms, not parachute in because of nepotism. Unvotable and undemocratic!

Vote 3rd Force instead! : KITA, JATI, MCLM (whats left of it, but homophobes could find it a good party that has 20 candidates), PCM, Borneo Front, Konsensus Bebas, HRP/Hindraf and PSM maybe SUPP if SUPP wakes up (much like MCA/MIC and Gerakan will not) and perhaps SAPP and LDP . . . and any independent candidates as in the list below who can CLEARLY take up the above 3 items (not like mealy mouthed Pakatan who looks preferring to keep the entire term limitless, apartheid system ion place to benefit themselves) . . . :

PETALING JAYA, March 22 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today the government is prepared to declare buildings in Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur as heritage sites, assuring owners that their shophouses will not be affected by the planned Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).

He said as prime minister he was aware of the need to have a balance between urban development and heritage, and that Malaysians needed both.

“For us to have development in Kuala Lumpur, efficient public transport necessary; it’s not a choice… the only way forward is MRT.

“We are prepared to declare as heritage buildings… (It is) important for us to preserve history, legacy but (it) should not impede progress… then you are not moving with the times,” Najib told Chinese-language radio station 988FM in an interview this morning.

“Jalan Sultan (landowners) not against MRT but they want assurance that their shophouses not affected. (We have) given assurance,” he added.

The dispute over the tunnelling along Jalan Sultan erupted after landowners were informed by the government that their properties would be acquired for the MRT project.

MRT Corp subsequently made an offer for Jalan Sultan property owners to vacate their premises for six months, and guaranteeing there would be no land acquisition, that any damage will be repaired and loss of income compensated.

Nineteen of the 23 owners along Jalan Sultan have so far said that they will pursue the offer, with another two willing to have their lots bought out by MRT Corp. A further two are still holding out.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Less about heritage and more about property rights please. Is this to say that unless a property is heritage, that there are no property rights at all? Section 8 of the Land Act must be abolished. Eminent Domain Laws must be abolished. Allodial Property titles must be allowed to citizens. Any MP or Assembly person who does not concur with this intention of the Rakyat must immediately be considered unvotable.

Stop gap measure, and quick popularity boost by PM Najib that benefits a iconic area’s citizen protections. This should remind Pakatan NOT to abuse the Rakyat’s property rights for mere profit. Chinatown might be saved now, but the problem of Secton 8 of the Land Act’s presence is a potential loophole for abuse by the Federal and also State Government. All MPs must be made to sign under penalty of resignation of their MP seat to initiate actions that will AMEND the Land Act to remove abusive Section 8. Meanwhile the LEGAL JUNTA – Bar Council and Judiciary, has remained silent AGAIN on the issue of serious issues like these much less address :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects

KUALA LUMPUR: If all enforcement agencies donned the dark blue uniform used by the police, it would lead to much misunderstanding and mistaken identities.

The one-uniform system may have a negative public impact if an enforcement officer’s service falls short due to dealing with problems not within his expertise, said Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah.

With only removable badges to differentiate the agencies, the system will pose a high risk of misrepresentation.

“Imagine a snatch theft or robbery happening and witnesses call out to a nearby officer in blue. Unless he is a trained policeman, the officer would not be able to help much,” he said.

Muhammad Sha’ani said that the scenario was likely as a standard uniform would not allow the public to distinguish the various agencies.

The new uniform system might also kill the pride of policemen, he said.

Malaysian Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said that the identification of enforcement officers was crucial for public satisfaction in knowing which agency they would be dealing with.

“A common uniform for all enforcement agencies may not achieve this.

“There must be wide and prolonged awareness campaigns to educate the public, and standard operating procedures for officers to produce their authority card bearing their name, rank and number.”

“The cost may not justify the change in policy. And without such campaigns, there will surely be confusion and abuse,” he said.

For Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez, the new system would only result in more extortion of foreign workers by bogus officers.

“Every day, at least one such worker is extorted. If Malaysians are going to find it difficult to identify the officers, imagine how would it be for foreigners,” she said.

She said that the public is already confused with current enforcement methods and calls the idea “crazy”.

Asked if a vest or a sticker on the uniform would help, Fernandez said it would not.

“They can be easily removed. All donning the same colour will not help enhance the identity of the agencies,” she said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

While apartheid continues unabated, the Bar Council president talks about uniform colours. No better than Nero playing violin while Rome burns. WHAT IS THE BAR COUNCIL FOR?!? To tacitly approve the wrongdoing throughout the entire system? When are those laws going to be updated? when will the apartheid constitution be amended? The people have a mood for change but only from DAP’s unkept election promises, abuses of power and whitewashes, as well as Bar Council’s neglect of the REAL ISSUE below :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects

Will the overseas Universities who deemed Malaysia’s Bar Council and Judiciary based LEGAL JUNTA ‘legal professional graduates’, withdraw all the degrees of these mindlessly pro-establishment seat warmers that refuse to amend laws, to give the people of Malaysia a proper stand against the oppressive apartheid government and these colluding NGOs registered with the biased ROS? These groups are not doing their jobs at all.

KUALA LUMPUR— Lim Guan Eng has played down the strength of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Penang, saying it is only the third safest state for the federal opposition to retain in an election that must be called by May next year.

The Penang chief minister told The Malaysian Insider in a recent interview the safest state for PR in its first federal polls as a formal coalition was Kelantan, which has been under PAS rule for 22 years.

“Then Selangor, then only Penang. (Tan Sri) Khalid (Ibrahim) is the smartest mentri besar or chief minister in the country and he is stronger than he appears.

“He makes sense in meetings and I think Selangor is stronger than it looks,” he said, dismissing the suggestion that Penang was a “safe deposit” for PR as “appearances are deceiving.”

Kedah is the fourth state controlled by PR and was recently rocked by a split in the state leadership of PAS, which heads the administration there.

The Bagan MP had come under fire from politicians and the public for suggesting last week that Barisan Nasional (BN) could “eat eggs (win zero seats)” in the state.

But he told The Malaysian Insider in a recent interview that “I did not say they will ‘makan telur’.”

“I said if we are vigilant and we work hard, and we get 90 per cent of the non-Malay support and 40 per cent of the Malay support, then they can ‘makan telur’. But it’s going to be hard,” the DAP secretary-general said.

He said reports of his speech at a fundraising dinner had taken his statement out of context as he had also told supporters not to “take for granted we will win as there is no guarantee in politics.”

“I’m giving a worst-case scenario and best-case scenario. Worst-case, we lose power. Best-case, we get that result (a clean sweep).

“But you think you’ll either get the best or worst? You won’t. It will be somewhere in the middle. But you must strive for the higher target,” he explained.

Penang has been repeatedly lauded by the international press for its economic growth and Lim has also praised its residents for attracting the most manufacturing investment of any state in Malaysia for two consecutive years.

But he said that “Selangor also has the same achievements” and dismissed Umno’s claim that Kelantan voters are tired of the lack of development under PAS.

“They are more tired of corruption,” he said, making specific reference to allegations that Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her family had abused RM250 million in public funds meant for a national cattle farming scheme.

Despite the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal that has stretched since October last year, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s approval rating surged by 10 percentage points to 69 per cent in a survey conducted last month.

But Lim said “I don’t deny Najib’s popularity but he cannot contest to be the MB of Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor or CM of Penang. He is contesting to be PM of Malaysia.”

–The Malaysian Insider

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Unlike what the article conveys, DAP’s position in Penang is quite safe actually, except for where nepotist family blocs and term limitless cliques or MPs refusing to amend laws are concerned. DAP as mentioned before, is a great party except for the DAP Central Committee and the DAP nepotist cliques. Continue to vote for DAP, but not the nepotists and oligarch, term limitless and undemocratic abusive MPs in DAP.

ARTICLE 2

Karpal is DAP’s boss, says Guan Eng By Shannon Teoh – March 22, 2012

Karpal renewed his spat with Ramasamy after the latter was cleared by the DAP disciplinary board. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Lim Guan Eng moved today to cement the DAP’s backing for its chairman, Karpal Singh, insisting that the issue of who is more powerful in the party does not arise.

The DAP secretary-general had declared yesterday the protracted spat between Karpal and P. Ramasamy was resolved despite the Bukit Gelugor MP’s unhappiness with the Penang deputy chief minister II being cleared of any wrongdoing by the party’s disciplinary committee.

“That issue doesn’t arise,” the Penang chief minister told reporters when quizzed over how the party secretary-general could override his chairman.

“The most important thing is Karpal will be leading as chairman for this coming elections. We want every leader to lead, and Karpal will lead as chairman,” the Bagan MP said, adding that the senior lawyer’s willingness to end the dispute showed “the leadership of Karpal.”

Lim had said that Karpal agreed to bury the hatchet after they met with DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and party advisor Dr Chen Man Hin.

Last Sunday, Karpal reportedly lashed out during a press conference at the party’s disciplinary committee for clearing his arch-nemesis, Ramasamy, of breaching party discipline involving a demonstration against DAP leaders last December.

According to various media reports, Karpal said the four-man committee, led by its chairman Tan Kok Wai, was unfit to hear the case as it involved Ramasamy, who is also a panel member.

The veteran politician said the four should have excused themselves from the case and new members should have been appointed in their place.

Karpal and Ramasamy, who is also a DAP deputy secretary-general, first came to loggerheads last year when the latter purportedly listed himself and three others as candidates for the coming general election.

This riled Karpal, who shot back at Ramasamy for making such a decision when it was not his place to do so.

In the ensuing verbal exchanges between the duo, Karpal labelled Ramasamy a “warlord”, while the latter responded with a “godfather” tag on the former.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The pariahs faction within political parties claiming to champion of democracy have acted, shown they are no different from BN. The title should read, LGE turns back on democracy for racist/communal politics, refuses to be fair to Ramasamy. This is BN style exactly. Both LGE and Karpal should LEAVE the CC due to the closed clique judgments, and for this spat, only neutral parties should decide, NOT undemocratically say ‘Karpal is the boss.’ There is no such thing as a boss. This is a political party not a dual Lim-Karpal clan run family association or family business. Pity the Indian members in DAP, they have a Samy Vellu in the form of term limitless Karpal Singh.

ARTICLE 3

I was born in M’sia and I shall die in M’sia – Kit Siang hits back at his May 13 accusers – Written by Lim Kit Siang – Thursday, 22 March 2012 15:52

I was born in Malaysia and I shall die in Malaysia. I am proud I have stood by my statement of commitment and patriotism to Malaysia when I was 28 years old under my first ISA detention 43 years ago in 1969.

Recently, there has been a coarsening and vulgarisation of politics in Malaysia, even in this august House of Parliament, where lies and falsehoods are disseminated without conscience or compunction whatsoever.

May 13, 1969 – I wasn’t even in KL

During the present and past meetings of Parliament, the most irresponsible and despicable falsehoods had been made against me, accusing me of having instigated the deplorable May 13 riots 43 years ago in 1969.

For four decades, the police, the security forces and the government could not pinpoint who caused the May 13 riots in 1969, but suddenly, somebody knew who caused the May 13 riots – and I have been accused in this House of having caused May 13, through making the most racist slogans in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969.

As a result, these lies and falsehoods that I had incited and sparked the May 13 riots, particularly in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969 had been blazoned on the blogs of UMNO cybertroopers.

In fact, I was never in Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969. I contested in Bandar Melaka, was in the counting centre in Malacca until the early hours of May 11, 1969 for the results, returning to my family in Petaling Jaya later on May 11 (Sunday). On Monday, May 12, 1969, I returned to Bandar Melaka constituency for a thank-the-voters procession in the evening and a thank-the-voters public rally on Monday night, both of which were peacefully conducted.

I must have the signal honour of being the only elected representative in 1969 to have both a thank-you procession and public rally as I was booked to fly to Sabah on the morning on Tuesday, May 13, 1969 to help campaign for the Independent candidates as the Sabah and Sarawak polling days were to be held a week after the Peninsular election results.

I was speaking at a public rally in Kota Kinabalu on the night of May 13 when I first learnt of May 13 troubles in Kuala Lumpur.

To accuse me of inciting the May 13 riots with racist outbursts and abuses in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13 are the most irresponsible and despicable of lies.

What I already foresaw way back then

In my first speech in Parliament on Feb. 23, 1971 after my release from my first Internal Security Act detention and the restoration of Parliament, on the Constitution Amendment Bill 1971, I called for the establishment of a Parliamentary Commission, which should include non-MP Malaysians eminent in their respective fields, to among other things, “find out the cause of the May 13 racial riots” and “to make recommendations as to how to prevent a recurrence of May 13 racial riots and arrest the racial polarisation in Malaysia”.

This was what I said in July 1969 in response to my detention under the Internal Security Act, record of which I am sure are still in the Home Ministry archives:

“My every public statement and stand was motivated by my sense of Malaysian nationalism and patriotism. I was born in Malaysia and I shall die in Malaysia. I have no other land as my home. I have children who are growing up in Malaysia and who are going to live in Malaysia. I feel it is my duty to do my part to build a multi-racial and harmonious Malaysia for, without such a society, all Malaysians will suffer.

“I believe that the policy followed by the Alliance is not producing or generating a sense of Malaysian consciousness and identity transcending all racial language and cultural differences. I believe that the only formula to build a Malaysian nation is to give every Malaysian regardless of his race, language or culture, a stake in the political economic social and cultural development of the country, where no group feels that ti is being discriminated against on racial, cultural, language or religious grounds. It is this philosophy which guided all my public actions and utterances.”

This was my statement of love, loyalty, commitment, nationalism and patriotism when I was 28 years old. I am proud to say that I have stood by this statement.

My children are all in Malaysia, making their contribution towards the building of a modern, progressive, competitive, democratic and just Malaysia.

The next general elections will be a great test for Malaysia whether we can become a normal democratic country, where Malaysians have the right and power to peacefully effect a change of power and government through the ballot box.

I invite the Prime Minister and all Barisan Nasional leaders to join Pakatan Rakyat to prove that we are all Malaysian nationalists and patriots who could work together by establishing a Joint Commission to ensure that the 13th General Elections is the most clean, free and fair in the nation’s history in the process to prove to the world and ourselves that we have graduated to become a normal democratic country.

Najib made many mistakes

In his campaign rounds, Najib recently extended an apology for past Barisan Nasional (BN) mistakes resulting in its loss of several states and electoral seats in the last general elections.

Some three weeks have passed but nobody knows what mistakes Najib was apologizing for.

There are many past UMNO/BN mistakes he needs to tender an apology, but there are also many of his own mistakes made during his 35-month premiership which he needs to apologise for.

Time does not permit me to enumerate these mistakes made by Najib. I will just mention one – his failure to restore public confidence in the efficiency, independence and professionalism of key national institutions, whether the judiciary, police, the Attorney-Generals Chambers, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Elections Commission.

The refusal of the Prime Minister to set up a judicial tribunal into grave allegations of abuses of power, subversion of the rule of law and the perversion of the course of justice, made against the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Gani Patail and the former IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan, made by former top police officers, including former CCID Director Datuk Ramli Yusof and the former KL CID Director Datuk Mat Zain, going back to the fabrication of evidence in the Anwar Ibrahim “black eye” incident, the Anwar trials in 1998, the Tajudin Ramli MAS bailouts, and the new information on the “ “bizarre five-year-old case allegedly involving the country’s most powerful police officer, the attorney-general and an underworld figure”, implicating even the Deputy Home Minister at the time, Datuk Johari Baharum, raises grave questions about the Prime Minister’s commitment to the rule of law.

Is the Prime Minister going to avoid taking a stand when it is seriously alleged that only very recently, the country’s topmost legal and police officers in the land, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police, were criminals – and the same AG is still in office?

Lim Kit Siang is the DAP adviser and MP for Ipoh Timur

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This sort of idiotic shouting makes the UMNO racist types want to kick people like LKS out of the country. How about UMNO let Chin Peng back in but kick Kit Siang out of the country instead citing racism? LKS has no loyalty to anyone but his own satrapy and term limitless shamelessness. LKS is bad for democracy as any UMNO warlords and will not even speak about ending APARTHEID, even colluding with BN via nepotist beneficary son LGE (the unvoted for but placed CM Of Penang who’s goons keep abusing rather than amending laws . . . ) to take 750K of tax payer funds WITH BN, their supposed enemy to pass tax payer dollar stealing bills. Who can trust a treacherous undemocratic person like LKS? 3rd Force should take over from here.

Recently, there has been a coarsening and vulgarisation of politics in Malaysia, even in this august House of Parliament, where lies and falsehoods are disseminated without conscience or compunction whatsoever.

During the present and past meetings of Parliament, the most irresponsible and despicable falsehoods had been made against me, accusing me of having instigated the deplorable May 13 riots 43 years ago in 1969.

For four decades, the police, the security forces and the government could not pinpoint who caused the May 13 riots in 1969, but suddenly, somebody knew who caused the May 13 riots – and I have been accused in this House of having caused May 13, through making the most racist slogans in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969.

As a result, these lies and falsehoods that I had incited and sparked the May 13 riots, particularly in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969 had been blazoned on the blogs of UMNO cybertroopers.

In fact, I was never in Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969. I contested in Bandar Melaka, was in the counting centre in Malacca until the early hours of May 11 , 1969 for the results, returning to my family in Petaling Jaya later on May 11 (Sunday). On Monday, May 12, 1969, I returned to Bandar Melaka constituency for a thank-the-voters procession in the evening and a thank-the-voters public rally on Monday night, both of which were peacefully conducted.

I must have the signal honour of being the only elected representative in 1969 to have both a thank-you procession and public rally as I was booked to fly to Sabah on the morning on Tuesday, May 13, 1969 to help campaign for the Independent candidates as the Sabah and Sarawak polling days were to be held a week after the Peninsular election results.

I was speaking at a public rally in Kota Kinabalu on the night of May 13 when I first learnt of May 13 troubles in Kuala Lumpur.

To accuse me of inciting the May 13 riots with racist outbursts and abuses in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13 are the most irresponsible and despicable of lies.

In my first speech in Parliament on Feb. 23, 1971 after my release from my first Internal Security Act detention and the restoration of Parliament, on the Constitution Amendment Bill 1971, I called for the establishment of a Parliamentary Commission, which should include non-MP Malaysians eminent in their respective fields, to among other things, “find out the cause of the May 13 racial riots” and “to make recommenjdations as to how to prevent a recurrence of May 13 racial riots and arrest the racial polarisation in Malaysia”.

This was what I said in July 1969 in response to my detention under the Internal Security Act, record of which I am sure are still in the Home Ministry archives:

“My every public statement and stand was motivated by my sense of Malaysian nationalism and patriotism. I was born in Malaysia and I shall die in Malaysia. I have no other land as my home. I have children who are growing up in Malaysia and who are going to live in Malaysia. I feel it is my duty to do my part to build a multi-racial and harmonious Malaysia for, without such a society, all Malaysians will suffer.

“I believe that the policy followed by the Alliance is not producing or generating a sense of Malaysian consciousness and identity transcending all racial language and cultural differences. I believe that the only formula to build a Malaysian nation is to give every Malaysian regardless of his race, language or culture, a stake in the political economic social and cultural development of the country, where no group feels that it is being discriminated against on racial, cultural, language or religious grounds. It is this philosophy which guided all my public actions and utterances.”

This was my statement of love, loyalty, commitment, nationalism and patriotism when I was 28 years old. I am proud to say that I have stood by this statement.

My children are all in Malaysia, making their contribution towards the building of a modern, progressive, competitive, democratic and just Malaysia.

The next general elections will be a great test for Malaysia whether we can become a normal democratic country, where Malaysians have the right and power to peacefully effect a change of power and government through the ballot box.

I invite the Prime Minister and all Barisan Nasional leaders to join Pakatan Rakyat to prove that we are all Malaysian nationalists and patriots who could work together by establishing a Joint Commission to ensure that the 13th General Elections is the most clean, free and fair in the nation’s history in the process to prove to the world and ourselves that we have graduated to become a normal democratic ountry.

In his campaign rounds, Najib recently extended an apology for past Barisan Nasional (BN)mistakes resulting in its loss of several states and electoral seats in the last general elections.

Some three weeks have passed but nobody knows what mistakes Najib was apologizing for.

There are many past UMNO/BN mistakes he needs to tender an apology, but there are also many of his own mistakes made during his 35-month premiership which he needs to apologise for.

Time does not permit me to enumerate these mistakes made by Najib. I will just mention one – his failure to restore public confidence in the efficiency, independence and professionalism of key national institutions, whether the judiciary, police, the Attorney-Generals Chambers, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Elections Commission.

The refusal of the Prime Minister to set up a judicial tribunal into grave allegations of abuses of power, subversion of the rule of law and the perversion of the course of justice, made against the Attorney-General, Gani Patailand the former IGP Musa Hassan, made by former top police officers, including former CCID Director Ramli Yusof and the former KL CID Director Mat Zain, going back to the fabrication of evidence in the Anwar Ibrahim “black eye” incident, the Anwar trials in 1998, the Tajudin Ramli MAS bailouts, and the new information on the ” “bizarre five-year-old case allegedly involving the country’s most powerful police officer, the attorney-general and an underworld figure”, implicating even the Deputy Home Minister at the time, Johari Baharum, raises grave questions about the Prime Minister’s commitment to the rule of law.

Is the Prime Minister going to avoid taking a stand when it is seriously alleged that only very recently, the country’s top most legal and police officers in the land, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police, were criminals – and the same AG is still in office?

LIM KIT SIANG

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

A real patriot would not have started the May 13 riots which LKS doubtless had a part in. A real patriot would not be a term limitless nepotism supporting political party or MP. A real patriot would not coarsely PLACE LGE (LKS’s son) in a blatant show of nepotism as CM in a state where LGE could not even win any seat at assemnly or MP level. This should be titled : Lim Kit Siang’s Unwavering Commitment And Patriotism To The DAP Satrapy (or whats left of the DAP). Firings, unkept campaign promises, state level corruption-abuse of power, Xian fundamentalism??? Time does not permit me to enumerate these mistakes made by Lim Kit Siang. I will just mention one – the failure to restore Local Council Elections as promised.

There are many past DAP/Pakatan mistakes Kit Siang needs to tender an apology, but there are also many of his own mistakes made during his 35-year Gaddafi style MP-ship (complete with family members) which Kit Siang needs to apologise for. 3rd world minded leader of the past needs to be kicked out of DAP even the country . . . had 2 terms? So GFTO of the Dewan and take your products of nepotism and cliques out with you. DAP’s term limitless internally constitution is a FARCE and needs to be rewritten. Cabinet and the ROS should have deported LKS or any other MP who stayed more than 2 terms or installed their kids in any posts LONG ago. Shameless undemocratic lot. They may say the spat is over but cover ups like these will fester and destroy the party’s already undemocratic culture for ALL new members. During my time less than 10 years ago, they already feared the unaffiliated academics enough to close them out, now it seems DAP is very much like Singapore’s PAP. There is no way Malaysian Chinese can move forward or be represented by a party like DAP, even as Gerakan and MCA’s acceptance of UN illegal Bumiputra-Apartheid policy has damned these other 2 so-called Chinese parties, that leaves PCM in 3rd Force or perhaps SAPP (if SAPP leaves BN), both which have been not been particularly active or democratic either. Vote for 3rd force or run for candidacy as independents for the REAL ISSUE as listed in below 3 items Malaysians! Malaysia does not need DAP and DAP’s undemocratic term limitless liars, clique factions and nepotists!ARTICLE 5

Subramaniam: Malaysians must prepare for life without maids – By Yow Hong Chieh – March 21, 2012

The minister said a day may come when foreign maids will no longer “want to come and work here.” — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — Malaysians must be prepared to “do their own work” should the time come when foreigners no longer wish to work as domestic help here, Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam said today.

The human resources minister said while foreign maids were readily available now, economic growth in source nations may mean foreigners will one day prefer to work in their home country instead.

“We have to learn how to do our own work. We have opened it so long as there is availability, it’s fine.

As countries evolve, we may not need maids or maids may not want to come and work here

“But… as countries evolve, we may not need maids or maids may not want to come and work here,” he told reporters at Menara Perkeso here.

He was responding to questions about the ongoing talks with Indonesia to send maids to Malaysia.

Jakarta banned its citizens from working as maids in Malaysia in June 2009, after numerous cases of maids being abused by their Malaysian employers.

Indonesia withdrew the moratorium on December 1 last year.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bali at the end of last year as part of efforts to resolve the issue amicably.

But Jakarta has yet to start allowing the return of Indonesian domestic helpers to Malaysia despite rescinding the moratorium, leading to confusion here.

Subramaniam added today that the government was strengthening “support mechanisms” for Malaysians now with an eye to a possible maid supply crunch in the future.

However, he did not elaborate on the support mechanisms in question.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This maid thing could well be the unedifying monopoly of darker skinned races at worst (lighter skinned maids being unemployable) or some form of mask (perhaps like a fencer’s mask or rubber latex mask depicting a typical servant’s face, maybe even with a voice filter so that they cannot be identified later on the street) and uniform that removes entirely the racial and identifying issue. The danger in such a system is of course abuse, trafficking and must be very well monitored perhaps with electronic bracelets and 360 degree cams to protect these now faceless (though probably prominently numbered) people on work contracts from abuse and yet who also do not wish to be identifiable a the same time.

Privacy while working as a maid could be a good incentive for many needing work but not wanting the stigma and later recognition, though records could still be leaked. Faceless masses of menials if anything. Otherwise develop menial AI with robotics that can be managed by a single ‘Menial Manager’ that would have been the maid in earlier days – the drudgery of studying IT or what not Tech based RUBBISH in universities will be the work of mental peons, so that machines can be maintained and repaired in equally peon like work. Here’s your new menial class, tech workers and tech maintainers, thanks to the intentionally poorly written computer languages that do not afford the mainstream society use without corrupting delicate thought processes with convoluted flow charts and doubtless occult paradigms that have no reality in the material or spiritual world except in a destructive and unnatural manner.

(Caution to minorities, NLPs up ahead . . . ) Who are you? You are nothing. You Chinese and Indians are pendatang. This country belongs to the Malays. Don’t be so sombong. If you don’t like it you can go back to China or India. Don’t try to demand this and that. Stop asking to be treated equal. You are not equal. Malays are first-class citizens. Chinese and Indians are second-class citizens.

The PKR people are embarking on some serious damage control. And to cover their arses they are distorting what really happened in the hope that they can confuse the people. See what Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, and S I Tan said below. These were all carried in Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, Harakah, as well as pro-opposition Blogs, Din Merican’s included.

Here we are screaming about the lies and distorted news from Umno and the government- and Umno-controlled mainstream media. Then we find the opposition doing exactly the same as what they accuse Umno and the government- and Umno-controlled mainstream media of doing.

This is what I mean when I say that the opposition must walk the talk. How can a priest stand up in the pulpit during Sunday mass and scream that you must be a good Christian and then go and bugger the choirboys and bonk the nuns? Wouldn’t this be called hypocrisy?

Chua Jui Meng is allegedly a Born Again Christian. I don’t know when he died (maybe when MCA kicked him out) but he got born again when he joined the opposition and decided to fight corruption. Considering he was the most corrupted Health Minister Malaysia has ever seen, I can appreciate that he, of all people, would be the expert when it comes to corruption. Would you not employ the best robber to advise you on how to prevent robberies?

The only problem is when he decided to become born again and then join the opposition to fight corruption he refused to give back all the money he robbed when he was the Health Minister. Aiyah! How can you keep all those millions and then whack others for being corrupted? You must first give back all the money you stole before talking about how corrupted other people are.

Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, and S I Tan are from Chinese and Tamil schools or what? How come they can’t understand a simple thing like the difference between a debate and an interview?

‘Debate’ means two or more people take opposite positions on an issue and they argue and defend the position they have taken. ‘Interview’ means one person asks another person questions and you reply to those questions.

So, Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, S I Tan, don’t get confused. More importantly, don’t try to mislead others. That is something Umno and the government- and Umno-controlled mainstream media are supposed to do. The opposition people are supposed to be honest, sincere and trustworthy. If you all also act just like Umno people then why the need to vote opposition? We might as well just vote Barisan Nasional. We want to vote opposition so that we can get something different and something better. But now you all are acting just like Umno — lying and distorting things.

How many times must I repeat the same story before you can understand? Aiyah! Chinese and Tamil schools so bad one or what? Anyway, let me for the umpteenth time tell you what happened.

Wikileaks is producing a documentary and they are interviewing many people for the documentary. Many people mah! Two of these people are Anwar Ibrahim and me. The issue is, do they interview Anwar and me in separate sessions or can they kill two birds with one stone and interview us both at the same time?

When they asked me I said no problem, can do both at the same time. When they asked Anwar he said big problem, must do separate interviews. So the decision was it would be two separate interviews. When they asked me who shall go first, I told them to interview Anwar first and I will take the next session.

So, where got debate one? Why do you keep saying I invited Anwar to a debate? I never invited Anwar! Wikileaks invited Anwar. And it is not a debate between Anwar and me. It is an interview. Julian Assange asks questions and you reply. Simple!

Anyway, whether it is a debate or interview is one issue. But why so sombong one? Why are you all talking like Umno and Perkasa?

Wah! Garang! Who is Raja Petra Kamarudin? He is nobody. Anwar is somebody, a great man. How can Raja Petra want to share the same stage with Anwar? Anwar is way up there. Raja Petra is way down there. Raja Petra is not the same level as Anwar. Raja Petra is just a Blogger. Anwar is the opposition leader.

Imagine if I talk like that.

Who are Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, and S I Tan? They are just Chinese and Indians. They are pendatang. They are not even Bumiputeras. I am from the Selangor Royal Family. My cousin is the Sultan of Selangor. My uncle was the Agong. My grandfather was the Governor of Penang. Why you call me RPK? Bad manners mah! You must address me as Yang Mulia, not RPK.

Is that the way to talk? Sound sombong or not?

Now the NFC directors refuse to appear before the PAC. They have snubbed the PAC Committee. Who are you? You are just a Committee. Why must we appear before your Committee? We are Directors of the NFC. We are bigger than you. You are nothing. We are orang besar. We have Umno backing. We can walk in to the PMs and DPMs office any time. No need to even make an appointment. We no need to layan you one. We can just snub you.

When I walked into the police station in 2001, Bakri Zinin, the current CID Chief whacked me for no rhyme or reason (he just likes whacking people). When I stood up and asked him why he beat me up, he charged at me and wanted to beat the shit out of me. Luckily three of his officers held him back while my wife held on to me. If not I would have killed him.

“I am the OCPD here!” Bakri Zini screamed.

That’s right. Another case of who are you? I am the OCPD here. I am a big man. You are nothing!

Later, when they looked at my IC, they discovered who I was. To cover their mistake, they arrested and handcuffed me and threw me into the lockup. When I demanded to know under what charge, they replied that they are going to arrest me first and then decide later what to charge me with.

So you see how this ‘who are you, I am a big man’ works?

No lah. Don’t act like this. This is a very sombong attitude. Umno also talks like this. In March 2008, the voters punished Umno for talking like this. So don’t make the same mistake like Umno or else the voters might also punish you like they punished Umno in 2008.

This is just like how Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa talk. Who are you? You are nothing. You Chinese and Indians are pendatang. This country belongs to the Malays. Don’t be so sombong. If you don’t like it you can go back to China or India. Don’t try to demand this and that. Stop asking to be treated equal. You are not equal. Malays are first-class citizens. Chinese and Indians are second-class citizens.

Sound sombong or not? Well, this is exactly how you also sound. So be careful how you talk. If everyone also talks like you, you don’t like it. You will scream that we are all equal. We are all Malaysians. Where got first-class and second-class citizens?

Got! Raja Petra Kamarudin is second-class, maybe even third-class. He is just a Blogger. He not the same taraf as Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Pakatan Rakyat leaders are higher class. How can Raja Petra Kamarudin share same stage as Pakatan Rakyat leaders?

“I’m amused as to how the controversy has enabled two escape artists to evade the more pressing compulsions for debate,” allowed the busy lawyer-politician in remarks made to Malaysiakini.

“One, of course, is RPK himself: Has there been a more compelling need for the two diametrically opposed parts of him to debate each other, seemingly absurd as that may sound,” offered Surendran.

“On the one hand, the public had for years seen the part of him prior to February last year, just before the Sarawak state elections, when he was a significant voice in the medley that was for reform and change in the country,” he continued.

“After an astonishing statement he made last February, the man struck an about-face, a turnaround which he has sustained to this day, thus showing a face radically different to the one he held up to Malaysian netizens prior to February 2011,” observed Surendran.

Surendran, a likely PKR candidate for the 13th general election, argued that since there has been no distinct change to the political structures of the nation, RPK’s volte-face – its mystery, its puzzle – is prime material for a public airing.

“Seriously, a public debate between the two sides of RPK’s persona is a way to dispel that mystery, though I’m afraid it would give political ventriloquism a bad name.

“But can that be any worse that what he has given to the crusading reformist spirit on the net with his astonishing somersault of the last year,” queried Surendran.

The PKR veep held that the other escapee from the contretemps over Anwar Ibrahim’s imputed refusal to debate RPK was Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“The PM has chosen to ride pillion in this matter by imputing cowardice on Anwar’s part but it is he who is ducking out of a debate with Anwar,” charged Surendran.

“His remarks to foreign correspondents yesterday had plenty of allusions to the American political scene but he missed the elephant in the room which is the prevalence of public debates between leading contestants,” he asserted.

“He wants Anwar to debate his proxy, RPK, which is typical of the rentier culture he represents,” quipped Surendran. — Malaysiakini, 20 March 2012

*****************************************

Why the hell should Anwar debate RPK? — S I Tan

Why should the Leader of the Malaysian Opposition debate a discredited blogger?

In any democracy, the incumbent PM debates the leader of the Opposition, not some blogger who has illusions about his own influence.

Raja Petra Kamarudin may think that he is worthy of acclaim but he is not. He has not stood for elections and is not representing any constituency. In fact, he is just another blogger who owes his loyalty to himself and whoever gives him the time of day.

If you layan him, he is very happy and will be friendly towards you. But if you don’t listen to his advice, then he gets all worked up.

Of course, some people argue that he has crossed over to BN and that is his choice. Maybe they find him more useful in bringing down the Opposition but he is nothing more than someone who puts his views across on his blog.

He is not the Leader of the Opposition, an Opposition which has managed to shake BN’s hegemony. Anwar is the leader and therefore the PM should show some spine and debate him.

But asking Najib Razak to show some spine would be asking too much. So Najib now takes this side issue of Anwar not debating the blogger as his escape route.

After more than 50 years, this is what Malaysia has been left with: a prime minister unable to act prime ministerial and constantly looking for his script from public relations advisors. — The Malaysian Insider, 19 March 2012

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]

Nice bunch of NLPs lobbed Raja faux-Jew. Inside-outside man eh RPK? If you are so YM, then return to Malaysia. Otherwise it’s RPK till then for hiding in a whiteman’s land. Besides the YM only counts in Malaysia unless on official recognized visits elsewhere. Meanwhile the readers can enjoy the counter version of RPK’s NLPs below :

Who are Malays? Malays are less than nothing. The Malays are pendatang. This country belongs to the Indians and Chinese (northern part Chinese) (southern part indian). Don’t be so sombong. If Malays don’t like it Malays can go back to Yunnan or Indonesia. Don’t try to demand this and that. Stop treating non-Malays less than equal. Malays are not even equal. Indians and Chinese are first-class citizens. Malays are second-class citizens.

Hope that ‘heals up’ the NLP unaware who were subtly insulted. Now Malaysia knows why RPK isn’t here, RPK is playing all sides against each other (guess for who?), and are not interested in the well being of nation at all. A pretend runaway working against equality at the end of everything. I still have hopes for those 20 candidates in MCLM, and am glad that Dr.Tengku Haris Ibrahim has left the movement. RPK, you’re as treacherous as they are subverted by. We’ll see if the 20 MCLM candidates can endorse with intent to grant :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution.

Otherwise RPK will eventually be remembered as the strawman within 3rd Force.

Perhaps the Dong Jiao Zong decision to align with DAP comes from a belief that some of Lim Guan Eng’s “shine” could rub off on the Chinese education movement.

To understand why the Chinese educationists should think so, we need to revisit the Chua Soi Lek-Lim Guan Eng debate on Feb 18 that was organised by the Asian Strategic Leadership Institute (Asli).

As everyone knows, the great debate on our two-race system was held in Mandarin. Asli director Michael Yeoh told a press conference that the language medium “was changed to Mandarin following Lim’s request”.

On Feb 23, Guan Eng released the English translation of his debate speech.

Speaking to the packed hall and televised audience nationwide, Guan Eng accused BN of dividing the rakyat into Malays and non-Malays.

Guan Eng also told his listeners: “In BN, Umno only takes care of the Malays, MCA only takes care of the Chinese, MIC only takes care of the Indians, Gerakan… I don’t know takes care of who???…. That’s BN with their “you take care of your race, I take care of my race”. That is a two-race system! Conversely, in a two-party system, we are all brothers and sisters, we take care of each other; every Malaysian is part of one big family!”

Guan Eng’s claim that Malays, Chinese and other ethnicities “are all brothers and sisters” is the type of vocabulary reflecting his party’s Christian evangelist thrust. As is his preaching “every Malaysian is part of one big family!”

Never mind that the family members attend different schools, eat in different places (halal / pork served here), practice different religions (ummah / kafir dzimmi*), possess different psyches, etc. etc.

Guan Eng’s self-proclaimed success

Replying to a participant during the debate’s Q & A session, Guan Eng told the floor: “After March 2008, everyone can see, touch and feel the changes that have happened. In Peninsular Malaysia, the first dual lingual road signs in Chinese were erected in Penang.”

Please applaud Guan Eng’s achievement for “the first dual lingual road signs in Chinese [that] were erected in Penang” after Pakatan took over the state.

If we were to go by Guan Eng’s yardstick, countries like Germany, France and the rest that do not have bilingual signs for their road names would be disgracefully lacking in national ‘Firstness’. [In Berlin, I saw road names carrying the word ‘Strasse’ (Jalan) monolingually and in Paris I saw they are ‘Rue’ (Jalan) monolingually too.]

Guan Eng, unlike “Umno only taking care of Malays” made his sales pitch that “we [Malaysian Firsters] take care of each other” in the Astro live telecast. According to our country demographic, three-quarters of television viewers would not have understood the language in which he spoke.

The DAP secretary general could have elected for the debate to be in Mandarin because he speaks bahasa kebangsaan rather poorly. The MCA president, on the other hand, is a fluent speaker of Malay and hence either BM or English would not have been an obstacle for Dr Chua.

What takes the cake is Guan Eng’s logic-defying challenge to his opponent: “Chua Soi Lek’s refusal to release his own debate transcript in Bahasa Malaysia and English will only prove to non-Chinese speaking Malaysians that he focused on making personal attacks, lies and adopted divisive tactics during the historic Mandarin [debate].”

In the first place, if only Guan Eng had not insisted that the debate be conducted in Mandarin, then his quibble about Dr Chua failing to translate – in order to “prove to non-Chinese speaking Malaysians” – would have been a moot point.

In truth, Guan Eng’s nimble antics surrounding the above debate is merely characteristic of his party’s duplicitous approach to policy and political affairs.

He makes the accusation that “BN divides the people into Malays and non-Malays” but his own party since obtaining power has been boasting non-stop that it gave the bumiputera a larger quota than the ruling party ever did.

Aren’t the categories of bumiputera and non-bumiputera similarly “dividing the people” into two separate categories akin to the BN coalition formula that Guan Eng criticizes?

Yet DAP refuse to acknowledge their own adherence to the ‘bumiputera and non’ concept which is not dissimilar to the ‘Malays and non’ cleavage Guan Eng slams Umno for practising.

This bipolar personality disorder of the DAP is obviously a necessary playacting to reassure Malay voters that the privileges they’ve been enjoying would not be threatened in the event the community hands over Putrajaya to Pakatan.

DJZ hooking up with DAP

I had posted earlier in my blog that Dong Jiao Dong allowing DAP’s involvement in their March 25 rally would only serve to politicize the gathering as confrontational. I also noted that DAP’s unerring combativeness is not likely to yield a negotiated remedy to the DJZ requests.

A reader of mine commented in response that DJZ being confrontational now does not deviate from how this Chinese education movement had always been in the past and even when they had the backing of MCA and Gerakan who are the Chinese representatives within the establishment.

Going back to Guan Eng’s debate speech, he complained that “MCA only takes care of the Chinese, MIC only takes care of the Indians”.

Since he and his party – unlike the “racist” MCA, the “racist” MIC, the “racist” Umno and the “racist” everybody else seen through their DAP speck-free eyes – consider themselves to be Malaysian par excellence, it’s quite strange, isn’t it, why we’ve never heard them promoting the Malaysian First language.

Or is DAP unaware that Article 152 of the Federal Constitution spells out the national language? By the way, this 152 is that very same language that is the least and the one most minimally used by Guan Eng if you were to look at all his public speeches uploaded to YouTube.

Hanyu is the medium of instruction in ‘Chinese school’. [Alongside is the mainline education stream called Sekolah Kebangsaan.]

Various official sources cite the particular statistics that more than 90 percent of Chinese parents send their children to Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina).

DJZ’s data say also that 90 percent of SRJK (C) enrolment comprises Chinese pupils. Taken together, these facts indicate that the vernacular schooling system is a communal vested interest of the Chinese.

When Hindraf voice their grievances about Tamil schools and other race-specific (i.e. Indian) issues, the DAP camp is quick to vilify them as “racists” and “extreme” in possessing such a communal mindset. When Malays just mention the word ‘race’, they’re immediately branded “supremacists” by Chinese opposition supporters.

DAP take pride in positioning themselves as ‘beyond race’ and above the pettiness of the communalists (i.e. those who do not appear to object to the race label).

Previously Guan Eng had declared: “The time has come for all Malaysians to look at each other as fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children faced with similar problems and filled with common hopes and aspirations. For this reason, whilst I will meet with any group seeking a dialogue, I am not keen to initiate discussions on my own with organisations based on a purely communal instead of a Malaysian agenda.” (see ‘BN’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde‘ in Malaysiakini)

Err, what is it again that DAP defines as the “Malaysian agenda” — be it in the field of national education, national integration and what not?

How is it that DJZ has been led to believe that DAP, which places paramount emphasis on a “Malaysian agenda”, can be of much help to the education movement’s communal demands being met?

Can anyone refresh our memory on what DAP has ever done for Chinese culture and education?

But more pertinently, what does DJZ expect DAP to be able to achieve on March 25 and thereafter?

Helen Ang argues semantics without addressing the 3 REAL ISSUES while LGE is working for himself in a scorced earth policy for the minorities he purported fronts.

Can anyone refresh our memory on what DAP has ever done for Chinese culture and education? Classic.

Thank you Helen Ang for making so much clear in a single sentence. DAP is nominally after all no longer Chinese being Xian (and hence loyal to the Xian Capitals nominally Aramea if not the Vatican) , and a potential Zionist lobby like PAP under the Lee Clan is ASEAN’s same version. DJZ would be better off fielding their own independent candidates than associating with the nepotistic oligarchs of DAP which cannot keep campaign promises and has abused power and refused to amend laws and has limitless terms and family blocs. Even in the corporate world of private companies nepotistic family blocs are frowned on, in a political party accountable to the people of a country, limitless terms nepotistic behaviour or oligarchy is just shameless and unacceptable.

The social inbreeding in companies and political parties . . .

Ethics, especially in publicly accountable outfits like political parties determines propensity for corruption and abuse of power (DAP has abused power extensively the last time and currently while in power . . . ), DAP is not a safe choice where the nepotists and family blocs are MPs, BUT where all other DAP MPs or assemblymen not nepotistic, part of cliques, family blocs or term limitless, keep voting them in! To remind, the REAL ISSUES again below :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution.

Any race or faith and any party believing in the above 3 items and condemning nepotism, condemning oligarchy, condemning limitless terms is votable. If there is no such candidate, run for candidacy yourself voters.